Effects of resveratrol alone or in combination with piperine on cerebral blood flow parameters and cognitive performance in human subjects: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over investigation

• Published in: British journal of nutrition Vol. 112; no. 2; pp. 203 - 213
• Main Authors: Wightman, Emma L., Reay, Jonathon L., Haskell, Crystal F., Williamson, Gary, Dew, Tristan P., Kennedy, David O.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge, UK Cambridge University Press 28.07.2014
• Subjects: absorption; Adult; adults; Alkaloids - blood; Alkaloids - metabolism; Alkaloids - therapeutic use; Benzodioxoles - blood; Benzodioxoles - metabolism; Benzodioxoles - therapeutic use; Bioavailability; Biological and medical sciences; blood flow; Blood pressure; Cerebrovascular Circulation; Clinical trials; Cognition; Cognition & reasoning; Cognition Disorders - blood; Cognition Disorders - metabolism; Cognition Disorders - prevention & control; Cognitive ability; Cohort Studies; cortex; Cross-Over Studies; Dietary Supplements; Double-Blind Method; emotions; Feeding. Feeding behavior; Female; Frontal Lobe - blood supply; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Human and Clinical Nutrition; Humans; Infrared spectroscopy; Intestinal Absorption; Liquid chromatography; Male; Metabolites; near-infrared spectroscopy; Nootropic Agents - agonists; Nootropic Agents - blood; Nootropic Agents - metabolism; Nootropic Agents - therapeutic use; Nutrition research; Pharmacokinetics; Pilot Projects; Piperidines - blood; Piperidines - metabolism; Piperidines - therapeutic use; placebos; polyphenols; Polyunsaturated Alkamides - blood; Polyunsaturated Alkamides - metabolism; Polyunsaturated Alkamides - therapeutic use; Resveratrol; Spectroscopy, Near-Infrared; Stilbenes - agonists; Stilbenes - blood; Stilbenes - metabolism; Stilbenes - therapeutic use; Task Performance and Analysis; Vertebrates: anatomy and physiology, studies on body, several organs or systems; Young Adult; Near-IR spectroscopy; Cognitive performance; Piperine; Cerebral blood flow; Resveratrol; Performance evaluation; Human; Regional blood flow; Nutrition; Central nervous system; Encephalon; Micronutrient; Polyphenol; Double blind study; Proanthocyanidin; Hemodynamics; Performance
• ISSN: 0007-1145; 1475-2662; 1475-2662
• DOI: 10.1017/S0007114514000737

Previous research has shown that resveratrol can increase cerebral blood flow (CBF) in the absence of improved cognitive performance in healthy, young human subjects during the performance of cognitively demanding tasks. This lack of cognitive effects may be due to low bioavailability and, in turn, reduced bioefficacy of resveratrol in vivo. Piperine can alter polyphenol pharmacokinetics, but previous studies have not investigated whether this affects the efficacy of the target compound. Therefore, the objective of the present study was to ascertain whether co-supplementation of piperine with resveratrol affects the bioavailability and efficacy of resveratrol with regard to cognition and CBF. The present study utilised a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, within-subjects design, where twenty-three adults were given placebo, trans-resveratrol (250 mg) and trans-resveratrol with 20 mg piperine on separate days at least a week apart. After a 40 min rest/absorption period, the participants performed a selection of cognitive tasks and CBF was assessed throughout the period, in the frontal cortex, using near-IR spectroscopy. The presence of resveratrol and its conjugates in the plasma was confirmed by liquid chromatography–MS analysis carried out following the administration of the same doses in a separate cohort (n 6). The results indicated that when co-supplemented, piperine and resveratrol significantly augmented CBF during task performance in comparison with placebo and resveratrol alone. Cognitive function, mood and blood pressure were not affected. The plasma concentrations of resveratrol and its metabolites were not significantly different between the treatments, which indicates that co-supplementation of piperine with resveratrol enhances the bioefficacy of resveratrol with regard to CBF effects, but not cognitive performance, and does this without altering bioavailability.