(PO23-03-22) The Effect of 12-Month Prune (Dried Plum) Supplementation on Pro-inflammatory Cytokine Secretion in Postmenopausal Women

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Presenting Author(s)

JD

Janhavi J. Damani, MS
– Graduate Student, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States

Co-Author(s)

Mary Jane De Souza, PhD
– Distinguished Professor, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States
NS

Nicole C. Strock, PhD
– The Pennsylvania State University
CR

Connie J. Rogers, PhD, MPH
– Associate Professor of Nutritional Sciences and Physiology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States

Disclosure(s):

Janhavi J. Damani, MS: No relevant financial relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.

Objectives: Osteoporosis is characterized by decreased bone strength and increased risk for fracture and is estimated to affect over 200 million women worldwide, causing approximately 9 million fractures annually. Current pharmacological therapies include antiresorptive and anabolic agents to treat low bone mineral density (BMD) but are associated with high cost, poor compliance, and adverse effects, contributing to their declining use and popularity. There is increasing interest in the potential of whole food dietary interventions to mitigate postmenopausal bone loss. Prunes (dried plums) are an abundant source of bioactive phenolic compounds that can target inflammatory pathways, which are upregulated in a hypoestrogenic environment and consequently promote bone loss. However, few studies have evaluated the effect of prunes on inflammatory mediators in postmenopausal women. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of 12 months of prune consumption (two doses, 50 and 100g) on pro-inflammatory cytokine secretion in postmenopausal women.

Methods: Postmenopausal women (n=87, 55-75 years old) were recruited for a single-center, parallel-arm, 12-month randomized controlled trial to test the effects of 50g and 100g prunes/day compared to a control group on inflammatory mediators. All participants received 1200mg calcium and 800 IU vitamin D₃ as standard of care. Blood was collected at baseline and after 12 months of prune consumption. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were isolated at each time point and stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, MCP-1) were quantified by ELISA in the supernatants from LPS-stimulated PBMCs and in plasma.

Results: Prune consumption did not alter plasma pro-inflammatory cytokine concentrations. However, in supernatants from LPS-stimulated PBMCs, there were reductions in IL-1β (p=0.013), IL-6 (p=0.007), and IL-8 (p=0.049) secretion in the 100g prunes/day group and in TNF-α (p < 0.001) secretion in the 50g prunes/day group compared to the control group.

Conclusions: Consumption of 50g-100g/day of prunes for 12 months attenuated TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, and IL-8 production from LPS-stimulated PBMCs in postmenopausal women, suggesting a potential anti-inflammatory effect secondary to prune consumption.

Funding Sources: California Prune Board