Potential Associations among Bioactive Molecules, Antioxidant Activity and Resveratrol Production in Vitis vinifera Fruits of North America.

Grapes (Vitis vinifera L.) are rich in bioactive molecules contributing to health benefits. Consumption of grapes is linked to reduced incidence of cardiovascular diseases. Studies on table grape cultivars are limited although much attention in research was focused on the wine industry. Bioactive effects of grapes as anti-inflammatory, anticarcinogenic, cardioprotective, vasorelaxant, phytoestrogenic and neuroprotective have also been reported. For example, resveratrol is a natural food ingredient present in grapes, with high antioxidant potential. Here we conducted an exploratory study to investigate bioactive molecules, antioxidant activity and the association between constitutive stilbene synthase (STS) gene expression and the resveratrol biosynthesis in selected table grape varieties in North America. The phenolic compounds, fatty acid composition and antioxidant activity of four grape varieties were compared. Red Globe variety was rich in unsaturated fatty acids as well as phenolic compounds such as caffeic acid, quercetin and resveratrol. Meanwhile, the constitutive expression of grape stilbene synthase gene was higher in Flame and Autumn Royal where resveratrol content of these cultivars was relatively low compared to the Red Globe variety. This study shows the potential links in grape antioxidant activity and resveratrol production, but more studies are necessary to show the association.

Ginseng Berry Extract Rich in Phenolic Compounds Attenuates Oxidative Stress but not Cardiac Remodeling post Myocardial Infarction.

The cardioprotective effects of ginseng root extracts have been reported. However, nothing is known about the myocardial actions of the phenolic compounds enriched in ginseng berry. Therefore, this study was undertaken to investigate the effects of American ginseng berry extract (GBE) in an experimental model of myocardial infarction (MI). Coronary artery ligation was performed on Sprague⁻Dawley male rats to induce MI after which animals were randomized into groups receiving either distilled water or GBE intragastrically for 8 weeks. Echocardiography and assays for malondialdehyde (MDA) and TNF-α were conducted. Flow cytometry was used to test the effects of GBE on T cell phenotypes and cytokine production. Although GBE did not improve the cardiac functional parameters, it significantly attenuated oxidative stress in post-MI rat hearts. GBE treatment also resulted in lower than control levels of TNF-α in post-MI rat hearts indicating a strong neutralizing effect of GBE on this cytokine. However, there was no effect of GBE on the proportion of different T cell subsets or ex-vivo cytokine production. Taken together, the present study demonstrates GBE reduces oxidative stress, however no effect on cardiac structure and function in post-MI rats. Moreover, reduction of TNF-α levels below baseline raises concern regarding its use as prophylactic or preventive adjunct therapy in cardiovascular disease.

Supplementing diet with Manitoba lingonberry juice reduces kidney ischemia-reperfusion injury.

BACKGROUND: Lingonberry (Vaccinium vitis-idaea L.) contains high levels of anthocyanins which are bioavailable in the kidney and may be protective against ischemia-reperfusion (IR)-induced acute kidney injury. This study investigated the effect of lingonberry juice on the IR-induced stress-activated signalling pathway and inflammatory response in the kidney. RESULTS: Sprague-Dawley rats subjected to kidney IR had significantly impaired kidney function, with increased activation of the JNK signalling pathway and increased inflammatory response, measured using a multiplex panel containing an extensive array of inflammatory biomarkers. In rats fed 1 mL lingonberry juice daily for 3 weeks prior to IR, kidney function was protected and attenuation of inflammatory response and JNK signalling was reflected in the reduction of the measured biomarkers. In vitro results in cultured HK-2 cells confirmed that lingonberry anthocyanins reduced JNK signalling and inflammatory gene expression after IR. CONCLUSION: This study shows, for the first time, that daily supplementation with lingonberry juice may protect against loss of kidney function induced by IR injury by modulating JNK signalling and inhibiting the subsequent inflammatory response. © 2017 Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

Lingonberry Improves Hepatic Lipid Metabolism by Targeting Notch1 Signaling.

Impaired hepatic lipid metabolism is a hallmark of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), which has no effective treatment option. Recently, Notch signaling has been identified as an important mediator of hepatic lipid metabolism. Lingonberry (Vaccinium vitis-idaea L.) is an anthocyanin-rich fruit with significant lipid-lowering properties. In this study, we examined how lingonberry influenced Notch signaling and fatty acid metabolism in a mouse model of NAFLD. Mice (C57BL/6J) fed a high-fat diet (HFD) for 12 weeks developed fatty liver and activated hepatic Notch1 signaling. Lingonberry supplementation inhibited hepatic Notch1 signaling and improved lipid profile by improving the expression of the genes involved in hepatic lipid metabolism. The results were verified using a palmitic-acid-challenged cell model. Similar to the animal data, palmitic acid impaired cellular lipid metabolism and induced Notch1 in HepG2 cells. Lingonberry extract or cyanidin-3-glucoside attenuated Notch1 signaling and decreased intracellular triglyceride accumulation. The inhibition of Notch in the hepatocytes attenuated sterol-regulatory-element-binding-transcription-factor-1 (SREBP-1c)-mediated lipogenesis and increased the expression of carnitine palmitoyltransferase-I-alpha (CPTIα) and acyl-CoA oxidase1 (ACOX1). Taken together, lingonberry's hepatoprotective effect is mediated by, in part, improving hepatic lipid metabolism via inhibiting Notch1 signaling in HFD-induced fatty liver.

Lingonberry Improves Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease by Reducing Hepatic Lipid Accumulation, Oxidative Stress and Inflammatory Response.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common chronic liver disease globally and there is a pressing need for effective treatment. Lipotoxicity and oxidative stress are the important mediators in NAFLD pathogenesis. Lingonberry (Vaccinium vitis-idaea L.) is rich in anthocyanins that have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. The present study investigated the effect of lingonberry supplementation on liver injury in C57BL/6J male mice fed a high-fat diet (HFD) for 12 weeks. Mice fed HFD displayed liver injury with steatosis, increased lipid peroxidation and inflammatory cytokine expression in the liver as compared to mice fed a control diet. Lingonberry supplementation for 12 weeks alleviated HFD-induced liver injury, attenuated hepatic lipid accumulation, and inflammatory cytokine expression. Lingonberry supplementation inhibited the expression of sterol regulatory element-binding protein-1c (SREBP-1c) and acetyl-CoA carboxylase-1 (AAC-1) as well as activated AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) in the liver. It also decreased HFD-induced hepatic oxidative stress and aggregation of inflammatory foci. This was associated with a restoration of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) and glutathione level in the liver. These results suggest that lingonberry supplementation can protect against HFD-induced liver injury partly through attenuation of hepatic lipid accumulation, oxidative stress, and inflammatory response.

Inhibition of Inflammatory Cytokine Expression Prevents High-Fat Diet-Induced Kidney Injury: Role of Lingonberry Supplementation.

Chronic low-grade inflammation is a major stimulus for progression of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in individuals consuming high-fat diet. Currently, there are limited treatment options for CKD other than controlling the progression rate and its associated complications. Lingonberry (Vaccinium vitis-idaea L.) is rich in anthocyanins with demonstrated anti-inflammatory effect. In the current study, we investigated the potential renal protective effect of lingonberry and its anthocyanin (cyanidin-3-glucoside) in high-fat diet fed obese mice and in human proximal tubular cells. Prolonged consumption of high-fat diets is strongly associated with obesity, abnormal lipid and glucose metabolism. Mice (C57BL/6J) fed a high-fat diet (62% kcal fat) for 12 weeks developed renal injury as indicated by an elevation of blood urea nitrogen (BUN) level as well as an increase in renal kidney injury molecule-1 (KIM-1), neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) and renin expression. Those mice displayed an activation of nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB) and increased expression of inflammatory cytokines-monocyte chemoattractant-1 (MCP-1), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6) in the kidneys. Mice fed a high-fat diet also had a significant elevation of inflammatory cytokine levels in the plasma. Dietary supplementation of lingonberry for 12 weeks not only attenuated high-fat diet-induced renal inflammatory response but also reduced kidney injury. Such a treatment improved plasma lipid and glucose profiles, reduced plasma inflammatory cytokine levels but did not affect body weight gain induced by high-fat diet feeding. Lingonberry extract or its active component cyanidin-3-glucoside effectively inhibited palmitic acid-induced NF-κB activation and inflammatory cytokine expression in proximal tubular cells. These results suggest that lingonberry supplementation can reduce inflammatory response and prevent chronic kidney injury. Such a renal protective effect by lingonberry and its active component may be mediated, in part, through NF-κB signaling pathway.

Microarray analysis of Fusarium graminearum-induced wheat genes: identification of organ-specific and differentially expressed genes.

A wheat cDNA microarray consisting of 5739 expressed sequence tags (ESTs) was used to investigate the transcriptome patterns of the glume, lemma, palea, anther, ovary and rachis dissected from infected wheat spikes after inoculation with the fungus Fusarium graminearum, the causal agent of fusarium head blight (FHB) disease. Stringent conditions were employed to reduce the false discovery rate. The significance analysis of microarrays (SAM) was used to identify transcripts that showed a differential response between fungal-challenged vs. control plants. To verify the microarray data, Northern blot analysis was carried out on randomly selected up-regulated clones. We observed 185 (3.2%) up-regulated and 16 (0.28%) down-regulated ESTs in the six organs constituting the wheat spike. Many up-regulated ESTs (46.67%) showed no homology with sequences of known functions, whereas others showed homology with genes involved in defence and stress responses, the oxidative burst of H(2)O(2), regulatory functions, protein synthesis and the phenylpropanoid pathway. The monitoring of genes in specific organs avoided the averaging of expression values over multiple organs that occurs when using data from the whole spike. Our data allowed us to uncover new up-regulated genes expressed in specific organs. The study revealed that each organ had a defined and distinctive transcriptome pattern in response to F. graminearum infection.

Effect of Vitamin D3 Fortification and Saskatoon Berry Syrup Addition on the Flavor Profile, Acceptability, and Antioxidant Properties of Rooibos Tea (Aspalathus linearis).

The unique characteristics and healthful reputation of caffeine-free rooibos tea (RT) make it an ideal carrier for vitamin D3 supplementation, and a potential base for the addition of Saskatoon berry syrup (SBS), a natural flavor additive. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of vitamin D3 fortification and SBS addition on the flavor profile, consumer acceptability, and antioxidant properties of RT. Six formulations (RT, RT with SBS, RT with SBS and vitamin D3 , RT with vitamin D3 , green tea [GT], and GT with SBS) were evaluated by 12 trained panelists and 114 consumers. The formulations were also assessed for antioxidant capacity, physical characteristics, and untargeted phytochemical content. Sensory results revealed that the mean intensity values for berry and sweet attributes were significantly higher (P < 0.05) while bitter and astringent attributes were significantly lower when SBS was added to RT samples compared to those without syrup. Acceptability of flavor, aftertaste, and overall acceptability were also significantly higher for the RT with SBS. The addition of SBS to RT significantly increased the antioxidant capacities which may increase the related health benefits of RT. SBS contributed several polyphenols, particularly flavonoids, to the tea. Vitamin D3 added to RT formulations did not significantly affect the sensory attributes, acceptability, or antioxidant content. For the development of a functional vitamin D3 fortified iced-tea beverage that can be consumed as part of the daily diet, SBS could be a favorable flavoring additive that may provide additional health benefits.