The Regular Consumption of a Food Supplement Containing Miraculin Can Contribute to Reducing Biomarkers of Inflammation and Cachexia in Malnourished Patients with Cancer and Taste Disorders: The CLINMIR Pilot Study

Abstract

AbstractBackgroundTaste disorders are common in patients with cancer undergoing systemic therapy, persist during treatment and are associated with reduced food intake, increasing the risk of malnutrition. Cachectic syndrome, which is common in these patients and characterized by marked weight loss, anorexia, asthenia and anemia, is linked to the presence and growth of the tumor and leads to systemic inflammation.Synsepalum dulcificumis a plant whose berries contain miraculin, a glycoprotein that transforms sour tastes into sweet ones and could serve to ameliorate taste disorders in patients with cancer.ObjectiveTo evaluate the effect of the regular intake of Dried Miracle Berries (DMB), a novel food containing miraculin, on several biomarkers of inflammation and cachexia in malnourished patients with cancer and taste disorders receiving systemic antineoplastic therapy.Materials and methodsTriple-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial. Thirty-one patients with cancer of various etiologies receiving chemotherapy were enrolled in a 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. Plasma levels of several molecules associated with inflammation and cancer cachexia were measured using the X-MAP Luminex multiplexing platform.ResultsThe three groups showed a decrease in the plasma levels of IL-6, IL-1β, TNF-α, and PIF throughout the intervention, although the percentage change from baseline was greater in patients receiving a standard dose of DMB. In contrast, the CNTF concentration only decreased in the DMB standard-dose group. This group also presented the greatest reduction in the IL-6/ IL-10 ratio, while IL-15 and IL-10 increased in the groups treated with DMB but not in the placebo. Regardless of DMB consumption, sTNFR-II tended to decrease with treatment in patients who responsed well to the antineoplastic treatment. We did not find significant correlations between cytokines and sensory variables or dietary and nutritional status.ConclusionsThe regular consumption of a standard dose of the food supplement DMB containing miraculin along with a systemic antineoplastic treatment can contribute to reducing biomarkers of inflammation and cachexia in malnourished patients with cancer exhibiting taste disorders.