Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism Research Group, Multidisciplinary Center UFRJ-Macaé, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Macaé 27971-525, Brazil.
Postgraduate Program in Food Science, Chemistry Institute, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-598, Brazil.
Nutrients. 2022 Jul 15;14(14):2913. doi: 10.3390/nu14142913.
The amino acid L-arginine is crucial for nitric oxide (NO) synthesis, an important molecule regulating vascular tone. Considering that vascular dysfunction precedes cardiovascular disease, supplementation with precursors of NO synthesis (e.g., L-arginine) is warranted. However, supplementation of L-citrulline is recommended instead of L-arginine since most L-arginine is catabolized during its course to the endothelium. Given that L-citrulline, found mainly in watermelon, can be converted to L-arginine, watermelon supplementation seems to be effective in increasing plasma L-arginine and improving vascular function. Nonetheless, there are divergent findings when investigating the effect of watermelon supplementation on vascular function, which may be explained by the L-citrulline dose in watermelon products. In some instances, offering a sufficient amount of L-citrulline can be impaired by the greater volume (>700 mL) of watermelon needed to reach a proper dose of L-citrulline. Thus, food technology can be applied to reduce the watermelon volume and make supplementation more convenient. Therefore, this narrative review aims to discuss the current evidence showing the effects of watermelon ingestion on vascular health parameters, exploring the critical relevance of food technology for acceptable L-citrulline content in these products. Watermelon-derived L-citrulline appears as a supplementation that can improve vascular function, including arterial stiffness and blood pressure. Applying food technologies to concentrate bioactive compounds in a reduced volume is warranted so that its ingestion can be more convenient, improving the adherence of those who want to ingest watermelon products daily.
L-精氨酸是一氧化氮（NO）合成的关键物质，NO 是一种调节血管张力的重要分子。考虑到血管功能障碍先于心血管疾病发生，因此有必要补充 NO 合成的前体物质（如 L-精氨酸）。然而，推荐补充 L-瓜氨酸而非 L-精氨酸，因为 L-精氨酸在其转化为内皮细胞的过程中大部分会被代谢掉。由于 L-瓜氨酸主要存在于西瓜中，可以转化为 L-精氨酸，因此西瓜补充剂似乎可以有效增加血浆 L-精氨酸并改善血管功能。然而，在研究西瓜补充剂对血管功能的影响时，存在不同的发现，这可能是由于西瓜产品中 L-瓜氨酸的剂量不同所致。在某些情况下，由于需要摄入超过 700 毫升的西瓜才能达到适当的 L-瓜氨酸剂量，因此可能会影响到提供足够 L-瓜氨酸的量。因此，可以应用食品技术来减少西瓜的体积，使补充更加方便。因此，本综述旨在讨论目前关于西瓜摄入对血管健康参数影响的证据，探讨食品技术对于这些产品中可接受的 L-瓜氨酸含量的重要性。西瓜来源的 L-瓜氨酸似乎是一种可以改善血管功能的补充剂，包括动脉僵硬和血压。应用食品技术将生物活性化合物浓缩在较小的体积中是有必要的，这样可以更方便地摄入，提高那些希望每天摄入西瓜产品的人的依从性。
