Fecha de publicación: 17/12/2024 Fuente: Foods - Revista científica (MDPI) Foods, Vol. 13, Pages 4084: Efficacy of Hovenia dulcis Fruit Extract in Hangover Mitigation: Double-Blind Randomized Clinical Evaluation
Foods doi: 10.3390/foods13244084
Authors:
Dong Hyun Paik
Ki Won Lee
Youn Young Shim
Martin J. T. Reaney
Ilbum Park
Sang-Hun Lee
Jong-Yul Park
Euddeum Park
Sung-Bum Lee
In Ah Kim
Guangpeng Xu
Ji Youn Hong
Young Jun Kim

The fruit of Hovenia dulcis Thunb. (HD) is renowned for its medicinal properties and is rich in bioactive compounds, traditionally used in East Asian medicine as a natural antidote for alcohol intoxication. A randomized, double-blind, crossover, placebo (PLA)-controlled clinical trial was conducted to compare the effects of beverages containing 0.475% HD (HDB), HD combined with 0.1% Pueraria lobata extract (HDPB), and HD combined with 0.02% glutathione yeast extract (HDGB) with the PLA on the symptoms of a hangover. Subjects (n = 30) were randomized into six test groups consuming three beverages, including the PLA. After ingestion, blood alcohol and blood acetaldehyde concentrations were measured at 0, 0.25, 0.5, 1, 2, 4, 6, and 15 h post-alcohol consumption. No significant differences in hematology tests and vital signs were observed amongst the treatment groups; however, at 0.5 and 6 h, the blood alcohol concentrations of the HDB and HDPB groups were significantly lower compared to the PLA group (p < 0.05). Additionally, the blood acetaldehyde concentrations in the HDPB group showed significantly lower values than the PLA after 6 h (p < 0.05). These findings suggest that HD may aid in alcohol detoxification and limit acetaldehyde accumulation. This indicates the potential for HD as a functional food ingredient for alleviating hangover symptoms.