Model systems for comprehensive assessment of the nutraceuticals expected efficiency in relation to metabolic syndrome

Using chemical and cellular models, popular nutraceuticals (amaranth, glucan, and resveratrol) and the drug Dibicor (taurine) were tested for their effectiveness against metabolic syndrome processes. For each object, the antioxidant activity (AOA) values and the degree of influence on target genes associated with inflammation were determined. Using the transcriptome analysis method, 12 proinflammatory and 9 anti-inflammatory genes differentially expressed by certain nutraceuticals or taurine were identified. The multitarget action of nutraceuticals, contributing to their effectiveness against metabolic syndrome, was confirmed, while a cause-and-effect relationship between oxidation and inflammation was not established. The assessment of nutraceuticals based on AOA alone is insufficient and should be clarified by testing on a more complex cellular model, which is true at least for the pathology under consideration.