Anti-inflammatory Effects of Northern Highbush Blueberry Extract on an In Vitro Inflammatory Bowel Disease Model

Nutr Cancer. 2020;72(7):1178-1190. doi: 10.1080/01635581.2019.1673449. Epub 2019 Oct 7.

Abstract

Blueberry anthocyanins have the ability to efficiently reach the GI tract and exhibit a broad range of biochemical effects. In the context of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), they remain a promising complement to current IBD treatments. Here, we investigated the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant capabilities of Highbush blueberries in-vitro on two normal colon epithelial cell lines, NCM 356 and CCD 841 CoN using fluorescent microscopy and flow cytometry following stimulation with a pro-inflammatory cytokine cocktail. Treatment with blueberry extract revealed a significant decrease in nuclear and cytoplasmic generated reactive oxygen species (ROS) compared to controls. Additionally, the blueberry extract increased cell viability following treatment with the pro-inflammatory cytokine cocktail. A comparison with previous report on rice callus suspension culture (RCSC) revealed opposing trend with reference to the levels of nuclear and cytoplasmic ROS. It is likely that blueberry extract and RCSC employ different players and pathways to mitigate inflammation.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Anthocyanins / pharmacology
  • Anti-Inflammatory Agents / pharmacology*
  • Antioxidants / pharmacology
  • Blueberry Plants / chemistry*
  • Cell Death / drug effects
  • Cell Line
  • Cell Survival / drug effects
  • Cytokines / metabolism
  • Flow Cytometry / methods
  • Humans
  • Inflammatory Bowel Diseases / drug therapy*
  • Inflammatory Bowel Diseases / metabolism
  • Inflammatory Bowel Diseases / pathology
  • Plant Extracts / pharmacology*
  • Reactive Oxygen Species / metabolism

Substances

  • Anthocyanins
  • Anti-Inflammatory Agents
  • Antioxidants
  • Cytokines
  • Plant Extracts
  • Reactive Oxygen Species