Testing a patented fermented papaya preparation on key aging redox and functional markers in middle-aged individuals. A 10-month randomized, single-blind, crossover study.

Objectives: Physical activity and cardiovascular system efficiency are known to be inversely associated with all-cause mortality. Thus, efforts are focused on preventative strategies for middle-aged and elderly subjects who lead sedentary lifestyles and may be further burdened. This is associated with a decay in mitochondrial efficiency and capacity for adenosine triphosphate (ATP) production, which is associated with decreased performance and overall bioenergetics. Methods: After having confirmed their eligibility, 160 (45-72 years old, m/f: 50/110 participants were admitted into a double blind, 4-month crossover, separated by a one-month washout period, trial, and random assignment to one of two study treatments using a patented fermented papaya preparation (FPP ® ), endowed with antioxidant properties. Subjects took two sachets per day, each one containing synthetic vitamins (Vitamin C, Vitamin E, alpha -lipoic acid, and dextrose). At the beginning, 1, 2, and 4 months, biochemical assays of oxidized LDL (oxLDL) and nitric oxide (NO) were performed on peripheral blood plasma or red blood cells (RBC) (ATP) on sample aliquots stored at −80°C. Results: FPP ® intervention showed a statistically significant increase in RBC-ATP (0.05 vs Multivitamin) at 2 and 4 months of observation. Both treatments significantly improved Total Antioxidant Capacity (TAC) at the 4-month observation with an earlier 2-month increase in the FPP ® group (p<0.01). Despite an overall wide scattering of OxLDL values, by clustering the 52-71-year-old participants, this group has significantly higher values than the younger counterpart. Both treatments, particularly FPP ® (expressed as percentage change from baseline), led to a significant decrease (p<0,05). While Multivitamin treatment was ineffective in improving FMD or NO levels, these parameters significantly increased during FPP ® treatment. Conclusion: The present research study shows that a specific fermented functional food (FPP ® ) may offer an interesting interventional strategy to tentatively counteract age-related endothelial dysfunction, redox dysregulation, and bioenergetic decline, compared with a synthetic multivitamin mixture.