Phytochemical Composition and Cytotoxic Effects on Liver Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cells of Different Berries Following a Simulated In Vitro Gastrointestinal Digestion.

Berry fruits are rich in nutrients and polyphenols, providing potential health benefits. Understanding the factors that affect their bioavailability is becoming of utmost importance for evaluating their biological significance and efficacy as functional food. In this study, the phytochemical composition and the total antioxidant capacity of different varieties of five berries (blackberry, blackcurrant, blueberry, raspberry, and strawberry) were evaluated after an in vitro gastrointestinal digestion process. The cultivar of each berry that showed the higher content of total phenols and flavonoids was selected to study its cytotoxic effect on human hepatoma cells. Digestion resulted in a high reduction (p ˂ 0.05) of total phenolic, flavonoid and anthocyanin contents and total antioxidant capacity, in the "IN" samples compared to the "OUT" extracts, which represent the "serum-available" and the "colon-available" fractions, respectively. Incubation of the digested fraction for 24 h didn't exert any effect on cellular viability, while a dose- and time-dependent cytotoxicity was observed after 48 h and 72 h of incubation for all the berries analyzed. Our results suggest that the approach proposed in this work may represent a rapid tool for evaluating and identifying new berries with increased phytochemical bioavailability, highlighting their antiproliferative agents after an in vitro digestion.

Effects of phytochemicals on thyroid function and their possible role in thyroid disease.

About 1 of 10 women, particularly those older than 60 years of age, shows some degree of thyroid hormone deficiency. Thyroid diseases are generally characterized by perturbations of thyroid signaling homeostasis. The most common examples of thyroid diseases include hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, and several types of thyroid cancers. Phytochemicals have been shown to have either beneficial or detrimental effects on thyroid function. Some flavonoids have been reported to affect the expression and the activity of several thyroid-related enzymes and proteins, and for this reason some concerns have been raised about the possible thyroid-disruptive properties of foods enriched in these substances. On the other hand, the beneficial effects of some plant-derived compounds, such as myricetin, quercetin, apigenin, rutin, genistein, and curcumin, and their possible role as adjuvants for the treatment of thyroid cancers have been described. Here, the role of phytochemicals in thyroid signaling modulation and their possible beneficial or detrimental effects on thyroid disease risk are discussed.