Effects of hesperidin consumption on cardiovascular risk biomarkers: a systematic review of animal studies and human randomized clinical trials.

CONTEXT The cardioprotective effects of the flavonoid hesperidin, which is present in citrus products, are controversial and unclear. This systematic review was conducted in accordance with the PRISMA 2015 guidelines. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the current evidence from animal and human clinical studies and thus determine whether the consumption of hesperidin exerts beneficial effects on cardiovascular risk factors. DATA SOURCES PICOS (Population, Intervention, Comparison, Outcome, and Study Design) criteria defined the research question. Searches of the PubMed and Cochrane Plus databases were conducted and studies that met the inclusion criteria and were published in English in the last 15 years were included. DATA EXTRACTION The first author, year of publication, study design, characteristics of animals and humans, intervention groups, dose of hesperidin, route of administration, duration of the intervention, cardiovascular risk biomarkers assessed, and results observed were extracted from the included articles. RESULTS A total of 12 animal studies and 11 randomized clinical trials met the inclusion criteria. In the animal studies, the glucose, total and LDL cholesterol, and triglyceride levels decreased with chronic flavonoid consumption. In the human studies, endothelial function improved with flavonoid consumption, whereas no conclusive results were observed for the other biomarkers. CONCLUSIONS Animal studies have revealed that hesperidin and hesperetin consumption reduces glucose levels and various lipid profile parameters. However, a definitive conclusion cannot be drawn from the existing human clinical trials. Further research is needed to confirm whether the findings observed in animal models can also be observed in humans. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION Prospero registration number CRD42018088942.