Biofunctional Miso-Type Sauce Enhanced with Bio-Carotenoids: How Does Its Habitual Consumption Affect Inflammatory and Oxidative Stress Markers? A Pilot Cross-Over Clinical Study

In the light of the increasing incidence of chronic metabolic diseases, fermented functional foods are receiving growing demand due to their important functional activities. The aim of this pilot clinical study-nutritional intervention is to expand knowledge on how the habitual intake of a biofunctional miso-type sauce, enhanced with bio-carotenoids, may affect biomarkers of oxidative stress and inflammation, in healthy volunteers. Under a random cross-over, controlled, and single-blind design, ten healthy participants who met the eligibility criteria supplemented their daily habitual diet with 20g of legume-based or the bio functional miso-type sauce, for thirty days, intervening a washout period of one week. Blood sampling was performed at baseline and at the end of each interventional period. Serum total-, HDL- and LDL- cholesterol, triglycerides, uric acid, glucose and plasma total antioxidant capacity, were measured. After thirty days, the miso-type sauce induced higher total antioxidant capacity concentrations and improved the mean triglycerides and LDL-cholesterol values, compared to the control sauce, aligned with the previous acute data. This long-term study supports acute postprandial observations and warrants research expansion by showing that the bio functional miso-type sauce, enhanced with bio-carotenoids may possess a preventive role in chronic inflammation and oxidative stress.