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Miraculin can contribute to a reduction in inflammatory biomarkers and cachexia in malnourished patients with cancer and taste disorders.
Pharmaceuticals 18, 622 - 622 (2025)
Background: In 2022, there were an estimated 20 million new
cancer cases and 9.7 million deaths. The number of new cancer cases is
expected to rise to over 35 million by 2050, marking a 75% increase from
2022 levels. Twenty to eighty-six percent of cancer patients suffer
from taste disorders (TD), which are associated with an increased risk
of malnutrition. Cachectic syndrome is linked to the presence and growth
of tumors and leads to systemic inflammation. Synsepalum dulcificum is a plant whose berries contain miraculin, a glycoprotein that transforms sour tastes into sweet and can ameliorate TD. Objectives:
To evaluate the effect of the regular intake of dried miracle berries
(DMBs), a novel food containing miraculin, on biomarkers of inflammation
and cachexia in malnourished patients with cancer and TD receiving
systemic antineoplastic therapy. Methods: we conducted a
triple-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled pilot clinical trial.
Thirty-one patients with cancer of various etiologies who received
chemotherapy were enrolled in this pilot study and divided into three
groups. The first group received a tablet containing 150 mg of DMB
(standard dose), the high-dose group received a tablet of 300 mg of DMB,
and the third group received a tablet with 300 mg of the placebo for
three months before each main meal. The plasma levels of several
molecules associated with inflammation and cancer cachexia were measured
using the X-MAP Luminex multiplexing platform. Results: We found
decreased plasma levels of IFN-γ in the standard-dose group. In
addition, our results suggest a downtrend of IL-1β levels in the three
groups after three months of intervention (p = 0.093). Moreover, the three groups showed a reduction in tumor-derived molecule proteolysis-inducing factor/dermcidin (p
= 0.021). It is important to highlight the positive correlation between
IL-6 and IL-10 in the standard group, which suggests a better balance
between proinflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines. Regardless of
DMB consumption, soluble TNF receptor type II tended to decrease with
treatment in patients who responded well to the antineoplastic treatment
(p = 0.011). We did not find significant correlations between cytokines and sensory variables or dietary and nutritional status. Conclusions:
Our results suggest that the regular consumption of a standard dose of
DMB along with a systemic antineoplastic treatment could contribute to
reducing inflammation and cachexia biomarkers in malnourished patients
with cancer exhibiting TD. In this sense, nutritional support is crucial
in the treatment of cancer cachexia. In our view, it should be
considered a coadjuvant of therapeutics. Future studies on the molecular
signaling pathways and specific mechanisms of action of bioactive
compounds within food supplements, such as miraculin, will allow them to
be used to target pathogenic mechanisms of cancer cachexia and
malnutrition: NCT05486260.
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Publication type
Article: Journal article
Document type
Scientific Article
Keywords
cachexia; cancer; DMB; miraculin; dysgeusia; inflammation; neoplasia; nutritional status; taste disorders; Fish-oil; Mechanisms; Interleukin-6; Mediators; Severity; Receptor
ISSN (print) / ISBN
1424-8247
e-ISSN
1424-8247
Journal
Pharmaceuticals
Quellenangaben
Volume: 18,
Issue: 5,
Pages: 622 - 622
Publisher
MDPI
Publishing Place
Mdpi Ag, Grosspeteranlage 5, Ch-4052 Basel, Switzerland
Non-patent literature
Publications
Reviewing status
Peer reviewed
Institute(s)
Adipocytes & Metabolism (ADM)