Wounding stress enhances the anti-obesogenic, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties of carrots (Daucus carota)

This study evaluated the health benefits of carrots (Daucus carota) subjected to post-harvest wounding stress, emphasizing their anti-obesogenic, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties. Carrots were shredded and stored at 15 ± 2 °C for 48 h to induce wounding stress, leading to a significant increase in chlorogenic acid content, by over 112.5% compared to control. The study utilized 3T3-L1 cell differentiation assays to evaluate the anti-obesogenic potential, monitoring changes in lipid accumulation and adipogenesis-related gene expression. The anti-inflammatory activity was determined in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages by measuring nitrite production, while the antioxidant capacity was assessed using the DCFH-DA assay in Caco-2 cells. Key findings include a notable reduction in lipid accumulation in 3T3-L1 cells with stressed carrot extracts, particularly at 166 μg/mL concentration, showing an 18% decrease compared to the control. Furthermore, there was a significant alteration in the expression of adipogenesis-related genes, with a 73% decrease in FAS expression and a 160% increase in ATGL expression. The stressed carrot extracts at 125 μg/mL also exhibited enhanced anti-inflammatory activity, inhibiting nitrite production by 44.60%, a 153.26% increase over the lower concentration. Additionally, antioxidant activity in stressed carrot extracts increased by 77.15% at 125 μg/mL. These results indicate that wounding stress significantly boosts the health-promoting properties of carrots, suggesting their potential as functional foods for combating obesity and metabolic syndrome-related diseases. The study highlights the value of post-harvest treatments in enhancing the nutraceutical quality of vegetables.