Instant Cascara Beverage as a Neuroimmune Modulator of the Brain-Gut Axis: Sex-Dependent Effects in Healthy Rats.

ABSTRACT: Instant Cascara (IC), a beverage obtained from dried coffee cherry pulp, represents a sustainable hydration option rich in bioactive phytochemicals, such as caffeine, chlorogenic acids, and melanoidins, which may provide effects beyond basic nutrition. This study evaluated the impact of three weeks of IC consumption on somatic and visceral sensitivity, and on neural and immune markers in the colon of male and female healthy Wistar rats. Behavioral tests showed that IC increased locomotor activity and somatic sensitivity in females (p < 0.05). Although control females were more sensitive to visceral pain than males (p < 0.05), IC intake did not significantly alter pain sensitivity in either sex. Histological and immunohistochemical analyses in the colonic myenteric plexus reve

SUBMITTER: Gallego-Barcelo P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12609599 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature