Daily mango (Mangifera indica L.) consumption supplemented with probiotics differentially modulates inflammation and cognitive function in individuals with overweight or obesity: a placebo-controlled, double-blind, and randomized trial.

Mango plus probiotics significantly reduced plasma TNF-α in overweight/obese participants but had no effect in lean participants.

• The study was a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled pilot trial with 50 lean participants (BMI 18-23 kg/m²) and 44 overweight/obese participants (BMI 27-35 kg/m²)
• Participants were aged 18-65 and consumed 400 g of fresh mango with one placebo or probiotics capsule daily for 8 weeks
• The reduction in plasma Δ TNF-α was specific to the mango plus probiotics group in overweight/obese individuals
• The differential effect on TNF-α by BMI group suggests body composition modulates the anti-inflammatory response to mango and probiotic supplementation

Lean individuals showed improved cognitive performance on Trail Making Test A and Digit Span scores, while overweight/obese participants improved only in Digit Span Backward.

• Cognitive function tests occurred on days 1 and 54, with additional visual cognitive tests administered between days 43-54
• Trail Making Test A and Digit Span score improvements were observed in lean participants
• Overweight/obese participants showed improvement limited to Digit Span Backward
• The differential cognitive outcomes suggest BMI status influences the cognitive benefits of mango and probiotic consumption

Gallotannin-metabolites increased in lean participants regardless of treatment but increased only with probiotic intake in overweight/obese participants.

• This finding indicates that probiotic supplementation is necessary to enhance bioavailability of mango polyphenol metabolites in overweight/obese individuals
• In lean participants, mango consumption alone was sufficient to elevate gallotannin-metabolite levels
• The reduced bioavailability of mango polyphenol metabolites in overweight/obese populations was a key rationale for the study design
• Probiotics were hypothesized to improve bioavailability by hydrolyzing parent compounds into smaller molecules

Microbiota analysis identified enrichment of Lactobacillus and Lachnospiraceae in the mango-probiotics group, with concurrent decreases in Clostridium and Streptococcus.

• The mango plus probiotics combination produced distinct shifts in gut microbial composition compared to other groups
• Beneficial taxa Lactobacillus and Lachnospiraceae were enriched with mango plus probiotic treatment
• Potentially less favorable taxa Clostridium and Streptococcus decreased in the mango-probiotics group
• These microbiota changes are consistent with the enhanced gallotannin metabolism observed in the treatment group

Overweight/obese participants with higher systemic exposure to gallotannin-metabolites showed improved Δ IL-1β, Δ total ghrelin, and Δ PYY.

• Higher gallotannin-metabolite exposure was associated with improvements in the inflammatory marker IL-1β
• The hunger-regulating hormone total ghrelin was improved in high metabolite producers among overweight/obese participants
• PYY, a satiety hormone, was also improved in overweight/obese participants with greater gallotannin-metabolite exposure
• These associations suggest systemic exposure to gallotannin-metabolites mediates both inflammatory and metabolic hormone outcomes

Despite probiotic supplementation, low gallotannin-metabolite producers had increased Firmicutes and Clostridiaceae.

• Not all overweight/obese participants responded equally to probiotic supplementation in terms of gallotannin metabolism
• Low metabolite producers were characterized by elevated Firmicutes and Clostridiaceae even after probiotic treatment
• This finding suggests individual microbiome composition may limit the efficacy of probiotic supplementation for enhancing polyphenol bioavailability
• The divergent microbial profiles between high and low metabolite producers highlight inter-individual variability in response to the intervention

The study was designed as a pilot trial with participants consuming 400 g of fresh mango with probiotic or placebo capsules daily for 8 weeks.

• The trial enrolled 50 lean (BMI 18-23 kg/m²) and 44 overweight/obese (BMI 27-35 kg/m²) participants aged 18-65
• The design was double-blind, randomized, and placebo-controlled
• Blood collections and cognitive function tests were conducted on days 1 and 54
• Visual cognitive tests were administered between days 43-54
• Mango is rich in gallotannins with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, which provided the mechanistic rationale for the intervention