Bioactive neolignan, iridoid and flavonoid glycosides from the leaves of Vaccinium bracteatum.

Two neolignan glycosides including a new one (1), along with seven iridoid glycosides (3 - 9) and nine flavonoid glycosides (10 - 18), were isolated from the leaves of Vaccinium bracteatum. Their structures were established mainly on the basis of 1D/2D NMR and ESIMS analyses, as well as comparison to known compounds in the literature. The structure of 1 with absolute stereochemistry was also confirmed by chemical degradation and ECD calculation. Selective compounds showed antiradical activity against ABTS and/or DPPH. Moreover, several isolates also suppressed the production of ROS in RAW264.7 cells and exerted neuroprotective effect toward PC12 cells.

Targeted Anthocyanin Profiling of Fruits from Three Southern Highbush Blueberry Cultivars Propagated in Colombia.

The blueberry, a deciduous shrub in the Ericaceae family, is celebrated for its delightful flavor, sweetness, and abundance of anthocyanins and antioxidants, qualities that have garnered significant attention for their potential health benefits. Blueberries grown in diverse environments and exhibit varied anthocyanin profiles, often influenced by factors such as altitude and climate. Varietal groups worldwide have been bred and categorized based on their growth habits and specific cold requirements, particularly with southern highbush cultivars thriving in temperate climates, demonstrating tolerance to higher altitudes or cooler climates-a result of hybridizations involving various Vaccinium species. In the Colombian Andes, southern highbush blueberries thrive in unique high-altitude conditions, leading to exceptional quality due to the region's cool climate and specific soil characteristics. In this context, this study aimed to chemically characterize and differentiate three southern highbush blueberry cultivars (i.e., 'Biloxi,' 'Legacy' and 'Sharpblue') cultivated in a Colombian Andean plateau and compare them to three commercially available highbush blueberries. This comprehensive evaluation involved examining total phenols, flavonoids, anthocyanin content, and DPPH· free-radical scavenging capacity, as well as conducting anthocyanin-targeted profiling via HPLC-DAD-HRMS. Through supervised multivariate analyses such as sPLS-DA, this study delved into the pattern recognition of those anthocyanins that could potentially serve as markers for quality and cultivar-related chemical trait determination. These findings locate blueberry-derived anthocyanins in a metabolic context and afford some insights into southern highbush blueberry cultivar differentiation to be used for further purposes.

Subcritical Water Extraction of Phenolic Compounds from Vaccinium Dunalianum Wight Leaves and Their Antioxidant and Tyrosinase Inhibitory Activities in Vitro.

Subcritical water extraction was used to extract bioactive phenolic compounds from Vaccinium dunalianum Wight leaves. The optimal extraction conditions were determined as an extraction temperature of 150 °C, an extraction time of 40 min, and a liquid-solid ratio of 35 : 1 mL/g. The total phenolic content reached 21.35 mg gallic acid /g, which was 16 % higher than that by hot water extraction. The subcritical water extraction extract exhibited strong scavenging activity of DPPH free radical and ABTS+ free radical, as well as significant tyrosinase inhibitory activity. The study suggests that subcritical water extraction can alter the composition of the extracts, leading to the production of various phenolic compounds, effective antioxidants, and tyrosinase inhibitors from Vaccinium dulciana Wight leaves. These findings confirm the potential of Vaccinium dunalianum Wight as a natural antioxidant molecule source for the medicine and food industries, and for the therapy of skin pigmentation disorders.

Vaccinium Species (Ericaceae): Phytochemistry and Biological Properties of Medicinal Plants.

The Vaccinium L. (Ericaceae) genus consists of a globally widespread and diverse genus of around 4250 species, of which the most valuable is the Vaccinioidae subfamily. The current review focuses on the distribution, history, bioactive compounds, and health-related effects of three species: cranberry, blueberry, and huckleberry. Several studies highlight that the consumption of Vaccinium spp. presents numerous beneficial health-related outcomes, including antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and protective effects against diabetes, obesity, cancer, neurodegenerative diseases and cardiovascular disorders. These plants' prevalence and commercial value have enhanced in the past several years; thus, the generated by-products have also increased. Consequently, the identified phenolic compounds found in the discarded leaves of these plants are also presented, and their impact on health and economic value is discussed. The main bioactive compounds identified in this genus belong to anthocyanins (cyanidin, malvidin, and delphinidin), flavonoids (quercetin, isoquercetin, and astragalin), phenolic acids (gallic, p-Coumaric, cinnamic, syringic, ferulic, and caffeic acids), and iridoids.

Peculiarities of the Variation of Biologically Active Compounds in Fruit of Vaccinium oxycoccos L. Growing in the Cepkeliai State Strict Nature Reserve.

This study was carried out to analyze the accumulation patterns of anthocyanins, proanthocyanidins, flavonols, chlorogenic acid, and triterpene compounds in fruit samples of Vaccinium oxycoccos L. berries growing in the Cepkeliai State Strict Nature Reserve in Lithuania. Studies were carried out on the phytochemical composition of cranberry fruit samples during the period of 2020-2022. Anthocyanins, flavonols, chlorogenic acid and triterpene compounds were identified and quantified using UPLC-DAD methods, and proanthocyanins were determined using spectrophotometric methods. The content of identified compounds varied, as reflected in the total amounts of anthocyanins (710.3 ± 40 µg/g to 6993.8 ± 119 µg/g), proanthocyanidins (378.4 ± 10 µg EE/g to 3557. 3 ± 75 µg EE/g), flavonols (479.6 ± 9 µg/g to 7291.2 ± 226 µg/g), chlorogenic acid (68.0 ± 1 µg/g to 3858.2 ± 119 µg/g), and triterpenoids (3780.8 ± 98 µg/g to 7226.9 ± 224 µg/g). Cranberry fruit samples harvested from open oligotrophic wetland habitats contained higher levels of anthocyanins, anthocyanidins, flavonol glycosides, and proanthocyanidins. The highest levels of triterpene compounds were found in the cranberry fruits harvested in the spring of the following year after the snowmelt. The use of principal component analysis showed that cranberry plant material harvested in October and November had higher levels of bioactive compounds.

Comparison of chemometric strategies for potential exposure marker discovery and false-positive reduction in untargeted metabolomics: application to the serum analysis by LC-HRMS after intake of Vaccinium fruit supplements.

Untargeted liquid chromatographic-high-resolution mass spectrometric (LC-HRMS) metabolomics for potential exposure marker (PEM) discovery in nutrikinetic studies generates complex outputs. The correct selection of statistically significant PEMs is a crucial analytical step for understanding nutrition-health interactions. Hence, in this paper, different chemometric selection workflows for PEM discovery, using multivariate or univariate parametric or non-parametric data analyses, were comparatively tested and evaluated. The PEM selection protocols were applied to a small-sample-size untargeted LC-HRMS study of a longitudinal set of serum samples from 20 volunteers after a single intake of (poly)phenolic-rich Vaccinium myrtillus and Vaccinium corymbosum supplements. The non-parametric Games-Howell test identified a restricted group of significant features, thus minimizing the risk of false-positive retention. Among the forty-seven PEMs exhibiting a statistically significant postprandial kinetics, twelve were successfully annotated as purine pathway metabolites, benzoic and benzodiol metabolites, indole alkaloids, and organic and fatty acids, and five (i.e. octahydro-methyl-ß-carboline-dicarboxylic acid, tetrahydro-methyl-ß-carboline-dicarboxylic acid, citric acid, caprylic acid, and azelaic acid) were associated to Vaccinium berry consumption for the first time. The analysis of the area under the curve of the longitudinal dataset highlighted thirteen statistically significant PEMs discriminating the two interventions, including four intra-intervention relevant metabolites (i.e. abscisic acid glucuronide, catechol sulphate, methyl-catechol sulphate, and α-hydroxy-hippuric acid). Principal component analysis and sample classification through linear discriminant analysis performed on PEM maximum intensity confirmed the discriminating role of these PEMs.

Detailed investigation of the composition and transformations of phenolic compounds in fresh and fermented Vaccinium floribundum berry extracts by high-resolution mass spectrometry and bioinformatics.

INTRODUCTION: Blueberries are known for their very high content of biologically active phenolic compounds; nonetheless, differently from the North American and European species of blueberries, Neotropical blueberries have not been extensively studied yet. OBJECTIVES: In the present paper, the phenolic composition of Vaccinium floribundum Kunth, which is endemic to the Andean regions and grows 1,600 to 4,500 meters above sea level, was investigated by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to high-resolution mass spectrometry (UHPLC-HRMS). Native and fermented berries were compared in terms of phenolic composition as well as antioxidant activity, total phenolic content, and total anthocyanin content. MATERIALS AND METHODS: V. floribundum native and fermented berries were extracted and analyzed by UHPLC-HRMS. The acquired datasets were processed by Compound Discoverer 3.1 using a dedicated data analysis workflow that was specifically set up for phenolic compound identification. RESULTS: In total, 309 compounds were tentatively identified, including anthocyanins, flavonoids, phenolic acids, and proanthocyanidins. The molecular transformations of phenolic compounds during fermentation were comprehensively investigated for the first time, and by a customized data processing workflow, 13 quinones and quinone methides were tentatively identified in the fermented samples. Compared to other species of the genus Vaccinium, a peculiar phenolic profile is observed, with low abundance of highly methylated compounds. CONCLUSION: Andean berries are a rich source of a wide variety of phenolic compounds. Untargeted MS analyses coupled to a dedicated data processing workflow allowed expanding the current knowledge on these berries, improving our understanding of the fate of phenolic compounds after fermentation.

Influence of Altitudes and Development Stages on the Chemical Composition, Antioxidant, and Antimicrobial Capacity of the Wild Andean Blueberry (Vaccinium floribundum Kunth).

The chemical composition and biological capacities of berries depend on environmental parameters, maturity, and location. The Andean blueberry (Vaccinium floribundum Kunth), also known as mortiño, presents a unique combination of several phytochemicals, which play a synergistic role in its characterization as a functional food. We aimed to expose the possible variations that exist in the profile of the phenolic compounds as well as the antioxidant and antimicrobial capacity of the wild Andean blueberry with respect to three ripeness stages and two different altitudes. We found that polyphenols are the predominant compounds in the berry during the early ripeness stage and are the main bioactive compounds that give rise to the antioxidant capacity and inhibition effect on the growth of gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. Moreover, the accumulation of ascorbic acid, free amino acids, and anthocyanins increases as the ripening process progresses, and they were the main bioactive compounds in the ripe berry. The latter compounds influence the production of the typical bluish or reddish coloration of ripe blueberries. In addition, it was determined that environmental conditions at high altitudes could have a positive influence in all cases. Overall, our data provide evidence regarding the high functional value of the wild Andean blueberry.

Identity confirmation of anthocyanins in berries by LC-DAD-IM-QTOFMS.

Rugged analytical methods for the screening and identity confirmation of anthocyanins require a dedicated sample preparation, chromatographic setup, and the reliable generation of multiple identification points to confirm identity against the wide range of phenolic compounds typically present in food, beverage, and plant material samples. To this end, combinations of spectroscopic and mass spectrometric detection are frequently employed for this application to provide higher confidence in the absence of authentic standards. In the present work, low-field drift tube ion mobility (DTIM) separation is evaluated for this task using a LC-DAD-DTIM-QTOFMS method. DTIM-MS allows accurate determination of collision cross sections (DT CCS) for all analysed compounds as well as a precise alignment tool for reconciling fragment and precursor ions in data independent acquisition mode. The presented approach thereby allows for an anthocyanin screening method taking true advantage of all dimensions of the analytical platform: relative retention (RPLC), UV/VIS absorption spectrum, accurate mass, DT CCSN2 , and confirmed high-resolution fragment ions. From the analysis of authentic standards and several berry samples primarily from the Vaccinium genus, Level 1 confirmation data for six anthocyanins from the cyanidin family, and Level 2 confirmation for a further 29 anthocyanins confirmed in berry samples is provided. The method and accompanying dataset provided as part of this work provides a means to develop anthocyanin screening methods using the ion mobility dimension as an additional alignment and filtering parameter in data independent analysis acquisition across any LC-IM-MS platform.

Bioactivity-Guided Isolation of Phytochemicals from Vaccinium dunalianum Wight and Their Antioxidant and Enzyme Inhibitory Activities.

Vaccinium dunalianum Wight, usually processed as a traditional folk tea beverage, is widely distributed in the southwest of China. The present study aimed to investigate the antioxidant, α-glucosidase and pancreatic lipase inhibitory activities of V.dunalianum extract and isolate the bioactive components. In this study, the crude extract (CE) from the buds of V. dunalianum was prepared by the ultrasound-assisted extraction method in 70% methanol and then purified with macroporous resin D101 to obtain the purified extract (PM). Five fractions (Fr. A-E) were further obtained by MPLC column (RP-C18). Bioactivity assays revealed that Fr. B with 40% methanol and Fr. D with 80% methanol had better antioxidant with 0.48 ± 0.03 and 0.62 ± 0.01 nM Trolox equivalent (TE)/mg extract for DPPH, 0.87 ± 0.02 and 1.58 ± 0.02 nM TE/mg extract for FRAP, 14.42 ± 0.41 and 19.25 ± 0.23 nM TE/mg extract for ABTS, and enzyme inhibitory effects with IC50 values of 95.21 ± 2.21 and 74.55 ± 3.85 for α-glucosidase, and 142.53 ± 11.45 and 128.76 ± 13.85 µg/mL for pancreatic lipase. Multivariate analysis indicated that the TPC and TFC were positively related to the antioxidant activities. Further phytochemical purification led to the isolation of ten compounds (1-10). 6-O-Caffeoylarbutin (7) showed significant inhibitory effects on α-glucosidase and pancreatic lipase enzymes with values of 38.38 ± 1.84 and 97.56 ± 7.53 µg/mL, and had the highest antioxidant capacity compared to the other compounds.

The effects of hydroalcoholic extract of Vaccinium arctostaphylos L. on sperm parameters, oxidative injury and apoptotic changes in oxymetholone-induced testicular toxicity in mouse.

Anabolic androgenic steroids (AAS) such as oxymetholone (OM) used for athletic enhancement, but increased free radicals damage and changes in hormonal levels, lead to serious and irreversible organ damage. Vaccinium arctostaphylos(V. arctostaphylos( has been demonstrated to have antioxidant and antiinflammatory effects. The aim of present study was to investigate V. arctostaphylos effect on OM-induced oxidative injury in mouse testis and sperm parameters. In this experimental study, 30 BALB/c mice were divided into five groups, including healthy, positive control(5 mg/kg OM) and three treatment groups (100, 200 and 400 mg/kg of V. arctostaphylos extract + 5 mg/kg OM). At the end of the study, serum luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and testosterone levels were measured. Testis stereological and sperm parameters were calculated. Antioxidant status was measured using nitric oxide (NO) and FRAP assay, and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels. Furthermore, the expression of p53, caspase-3, Bax and Bcl-2 was measured. V. arctostaphylos decreased the serum level of testosterone, increased the LH and FSH, and improved the stereological and sperm parameters and down-regulated the p53, caspase-3 and Bax and up-regulated Bcl-2 genes. Furthermore, this dose decreased serum levels of NO and increased testis FRAP and MDA levels in treated groups compared with OM group. V. arctostaphylos extract has protective effects against testicular toxicity caused by OM.

In Vitro Propagation and Variation of Antioxidant Properties in Micropropagated Vaccinium Berry Plants-A Review.

The berry crops in genus Vacciniun L. are the richest sources of antioxidant metabolites which have high potential to reduce the incidence of several degenerative diseases. In vitro propagation or micropropagation has been attractive to researchers for its incredible potential for mass production of a selected genotype in a short time, all year round. Propagation techniques affect the antioxidant activity in fruits and leaves. Total antioxidant activity was higher in the fruit of in vitro propagated plants compare to the plants grown ex vivo. This review provides critical information for better understanding the micropropagation and conventional propagation methods, and their effects on antioxidant properties and morphological differentiation in Vaccinium species, and fills an existing gap in the literature.

Anti-inflammatory effect of Vaccinium oldhamii stems through inhibition of NF-κB and MAPK/ATF2 signaling activation in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells.

BACKGROUND: Vaccinium oldhamii (V. oldhamii) has been reported to exert a variety of the pharmacological properties such as anti-oxidant activity, anti-cancer activity, and inhibitory activity of α-amylase and acetylcholinesterase. However, the anti-inflammatory activity of V. oldhamii has not been studied. In this study, we aimed to investigate anti-inflammatory activity of the stem extracts from V. oldhamii, and to elucidate the potential mechanisms in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells. METHODS: Cell viability was evaluated by MTT assay. The determination of NO and PGE2 production was performed using Griess reagent and Prostaglandin E2 ELISA Kit, respectively. The change of mRNA or protein level was evaluated by RT-PCR and Western blot. RESULTS: Among VOS, VOL and VOF, the inhibitory effect of NO and PGE2 production induced by LPS was highest in VOS treatment. Thus, VOS was selected for the further study. VOS dose-dependently blocked LPS-induced NO and PGE2 production by inhibiting iNOS and COX-2 expression, respectively. VOS inhibited the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as IL-1ß, IL-6 and TNF-α. In addition, VOS suppressed TRAP activity and attenuated the expression of the osteoclast-specific genes such as NFATc1, c-FOS, TRAP, MMP-9, cathepsin K, CA2, OSCAR and ATPv06d2. VOS inhibited LPS-induced NF-κB signaling activation through blocking IκB-α degradation and p65 nuclear accumulation. VOS inhibited MAPK signaling activation by attenuating the phosphorylation of ERK1/2, p38 and JNK. Furthermore, VOS inhibited ATF2 phosphorylation and blocked ATF2 nuclear accumulation. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that VOS may exert anti-inflammatory activity by inhibiting NF-κB and MAPK/ATF2 signaling. From these findings, VOS has potential to be a candidate for the development of chemopreventive or therapeutic agents for the inflammatory diseases.

Bioactive Compounds, Antioxidant Activity, and Biological Effects of European Cranberry (Vaccinium oxycoccos).

Lesser known fruits or underutilized fruit species are recently of great research interest due to the presence of phytochemicals that manifest many biological effects. European cranberry, Vaccinium oxycoccos fruit, as an important representative of this group, is a valuable source of antioxidants and other biologically active substances, similar to American cranberry (V. macrocarpon) which is well known and studied. European cranberry fruit is rich especially in polyphenolic compounds anthocyanins (12.4⁻207.3 mg/100 g fw), proanthocyanins (1.5⁻5.3 mg/100 g fw), and flavonols, especially quercetin (0.52⁻15.4 mg/100 g fw), which mostly contribute to the antioxidant activity of the fruit. Small cranberry is also important due to its various biological effects such as urinary tract protection (proanthocyanidins), antibacterial and antifungal properties (quercetin, proanthocyanidins, anthocyanins), cardioprotective (proanthocyanidins) and anticancer activities (proanthocyanidins), and utilization in food (juice drinks, jams, jellies, sauces, additive to meat products) and pharmacological industries, and in folk medicine.

Vaccinium meridionale Swartz extracts and their addition in beef burgers as antioxidant ingredient.

BACKGROUND: Vaccinium meridionale Swartz (mortiño) constitutes a source of bioactive phytochemicals, but reports related to its efficient and green production are scarce. In this study, pressurized liquid extraction (PLE) and ultrasound-assisted extraction of mortiño were compared. Total phenolic content (TPC) and antioxidant capacity (ABTS•+ ) were determined. Beef burgers with 20 g kg-1 of mortiño (MM) or its PLE extract (ME) were manufactured. Lipid oxidation (TBARS) and instrumental color changes were measured after refrigerated storage. RESULTS: High TPC (up to 72 g gallic acid equivalent kg-1 extract) was determined in mortiño extracts, which was positively correlated with antioxidant activity. TBARS values of beef burgers containing either MM or ME did not change after refrigerated storage, whereas lipid oxidation of control burgers increased significantly. The color of burgers with added MM or ME was different (lower b* and a* values) from that of control burgers. However, the evolution of color after storage was similar between control and ME samples. CONCLUSION: Mortiño extracts with high TPC can be obtained by PLE. Both mortiño and its PLE extract are able to control lipid oxidation of beef burgers, but the extract is preferred from the color quality point of view. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

Liquid chromatographic/electrospray ionization quadrupole/time of flight tandem mass spectrometric study of polyphenolic composition of different Vaccinium berry species and their comparative evaluation.

Ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with high-resolution quadrupole-time of flight mass spectrometry with both negative and positive ionization was used for comprehensively investigating the phenolic and polyphenolic compounds in berries from three spontaneous or cultivated Vaccinium species (i.e., Vaccinium myrtillus, Vaccinium uliginosum subsp. gaultherioides, and Vaccinium corymbosum). More than 200 analytes, among phenolic and polyphenolic compounds belonging to the classes of anthocyanins, monomeric and oligomeric flavonols, flavanols, dihydrochalcones, phenolic acids, together with other polyphenolic compounds of mixed structural characteristics, were identified. Some of the polyphenols herein investigated, such as anthocyanidin glucuronides and malvidin-feruloyl-hexosides in V. myrtillus, or anthocyanindin aldopentosides and coumaroyl-hexosides in V. uliginosum subsp. gaultherioides and a large number of proanthocyanidins with high molecular weight in all species, were described for the first time in these berries. Principal component analysis applied on original LC-TOF data, acquired in survey scan mode, successfully discriminated the three Vaccinium berry species investigated, on the basis of their polyphenolic composition, underlying one more time the fundamental role of mass spectrometry for food characterization.

Influence of Harvest Season and Cultivar on the Variation of Phenolic Compounds Composition and Antioxidant Properties in Vaccinium ashei Leaves.

The effect of variation of harvest season and cultivar on the total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), HPLC-UV/DAD profile and antioxidant properties in Vaccinium ashei (Rabbiteye blueberry) leaves grown in Brazil was evaluated. The cultivars collected in December and March were Aliceblue, Powderblue, Climax, Bluegem and FloridaM. It was observed that leaves from March had the highest TPC values (222 ± 1 mg gallic acid equivalents/g to Aliceblue cultivar) and highest TFC values (49.8 ± 0.8 and 48.7 ± 0.7 µg rutin/g to Clímax and Powderblue cultivars, respectively). The chromatographic profile was quantitatively similar, however, the proportions of each compound were influenced by cultivar and harvest season. Chlorogenic acid and rutin were the main identified phenolic compounds, but chlorogenic acid was the most abundant in both harvest seasons. Antioxidant capacities values ranged from 5.80 ± 0.04 to 105 ± 2 µg/mL (DPPH) and 178 ± 5 to 431 ± 8 mmol Trolox/100 g (ORAC). The cultivar Bluegem by March had the highest values in both assays. The results indicate that the blueberry leaves from different cultivars and harvest seasons have different phenolic compounds content and different antioxidant capacities. In addition, the antioxidant properties demonstrated a high correlation with rutin content.

Wild blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium)-enriched diet improves dyslipidaemia and modulates the expression of genes related to lipid metabolism in obese Zucker rats.

The present study investigated the potential of a wild blueberry (WB)-enriched diet to improve blood lipid profile and modulate the expression of genes related to lipid homeostasis in obese Zucker rats (OZR), a model of the metabolic syndrome with severe dyslipidaemia. For this purpose, twenty OZR and twenty lean Zucker rats (LZR; controls) were placed either on a control (C) or an 8 % WB diet for 8 weeks. Plasma total cholesterol (TC), HDL-cholesterol and TAG concentrations were determined. The relative expression of six genes involved in lipid metabolism was also determined in both the liver and the abdominal adipose tissue (AAT). Plasma TAG and TC concentrations were significantly lower in the OZR following WB consumption (4228 (sem 471) and 2287 (sem 125) mg/l, respectively) than in those on the C diet (5475 (sem 315) and 2631 (sem 129) mg/l, P< 0·05), while there was no change in HDL-cholesterol concentration. No significant effects were observed for plasma lipids in the LZR. Following WB consumption, the expression of the transcription factors PPARα and PPARγ in the OZR was increased in the AAT, while that of sterol regulatory element-binding protein 1 (SREBP-1) was decreased in the liver and AAT. The expression of fatty acid synthase was significantly decreased in both the liver and AAT and that of ATP-binding cassette transporter 1 was increased in the AAT following WB consumption. In conclusion, WB consumption appears to improve lipid profiles and modulate the expression of key enzymes and transcription factors of lipid metabolism in severely dyslipidaemic rats.

Distinguishing Vaccinium species by chemical fingerprinting based on NMR spectra, validated with spectra collected in different laboratories.

A method was developed to distinguish Vaccinium species based on leaf extracts using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Reference spectra were measured on leaf extracts from several species, including lowbush blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium), oval leaf huckleberry (Vaccinium ovalifolium), and cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon). Using principal component analysis, these leaf extracts were resolved in the scores plot. Analysis of variance statistical tests demonstrated that the three groups differ significantly on PC2, establishing that the three species can be distinguished by nuclear magnetic resonance. Soft independent modeling of class analogies models for each species also showed discrimination between species. To demonstrate the robustness of nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy for botanical identification, spectra of a sample of lowbush blueberry leaf extract were measured at five different sites, with different field strengths (600 versus 700 MHz), different probe types (cryogenic versus room temperature probes), different sample diameters (1.7 mm versus 5 mm), and different consoles (Avance I versus Avance III). Each laboratory independently demonstrated the linearity of their NMR measurements by acquiring a standard curve for chlorogenic acid (R(2) = 0.9782 to 0.9998). Spectra acquired on different spectrometers at different sites classifed into the expected group for the Vaccinium spp., confirming the utility of the method to distinguish Vaccinium species and demonstrating nuclear magnetic resonance fingerprinting for material validation of a natural health product.

Improved lipid profile in hyperlipidemic patients taking Vaccinium arctostaphylos fruit hydroalcoholic extract: a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial.

Dyslipidemia is a common contributory cause of cardiovascular disease. Vaccinium arctostaphylos L. (Caucasian whortleberry) fruit is rich of anthocyanins. Anthocyanins may exert cardioprotective effects by various mechanisms such as favorably modulating dyslipidemia. Therefore, in this randomized double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial with hyperlipidemic (hypercholesterolemic and/or hypertriglyceridemic) patients aged 20-60 years, the effects of taking a standardized whortleberry fruit hydroalcoholic extract (one 350 mg capsule every 8 h for 2 months) on fasting blood levels of lipids, creatinine and liver enzymes including SGOT and SGPT were evaluated in 40 patients and compared with the placebo group (n = 40). The extract lowered the blood levels of total cholesterol (P < 0.001), triglyceride (P = 0.002) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) (P = 0.002), but increased the blood high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels (P < 0.001) without any significant effects on the blood levels of SGOT, SGPT and creatinine (P > 0.05) compared with the placebo group at the endpoint. Whortleberry reduced total cholesterol, triglyceride and LDL-C 27.6%, 19.2% and 26.3%, respectively, but increased HDL-C 37.5% compared with baseline. No adverse effects were reported. Short-term treatment with whortleberry fruit appears safe and improves lipid profile in hyperlipidemic patients.