Bioavailability of Anthocyanins: Whole Foods versus Extracts

Anthocyanins have gained significant popularity in recent years for their diverse health benefits, yet their limited bioavailability poses a challenge. To address this concern, technologies have emerged to enhance anthocyanin concentration, often isolating these compounds from other food constituents. However, the extent to which isolated anthocyanins confer health benefits compared to their whole-food counterparts remains unclear. This review explores the current literature on anthocyanin bioavailability and metabolism in the body, with a focus on comparing bioavailability when consumed as extracts versus whole foods rich in anthocyanins, drawing from in vitro, in vivo, and human clinical studies. While direct comparisons between anthocyanin bioavailability in whole foods versus isolates are scarce, prevailing evidence favours whole-food consumption over anthocyanin extracts. Further clinical investigations, preferably with direct comparisons, are needed to validate these findings and elucidate the nuanced interplay between anthocyanins and food matrices, informing future research directions and practical recommendations.

Anthocyanins from Aronia melanocarpa Bound to Amylopectin Nanoparticles: Tissue Distribution and In Vivo Oxidative Damage Protection

The in vivo applications of anthocyanins are limited by their instability. Nano-encapsulation using amylopectin nanoparticles (APNPs) stabilizes anthocyanins to deliver them to tissues to ameliorate their physiological functions. Herein, rats are fed four Aronia melanocarpa anthocyanins encapsulated with APNPs, and their subsequent distributions and bioactivity in nine tissues are revealed using UHPLC-MS. Among digestive tissues, the concentration of the APNP-protected cyanidin 3-O-arabinoside in the stomach is 134.54% of that of the free anthocyanin, while among non-digestive tissues, the APNP-protected cyanidin 3-O-glucoside concentration in the lungs improved by 125.49%. Concentration maxima "double peaks" in the liver and kidney arise from different modes of transport. Sustained release of anthocyanins from anthocyanin-APNPs and stable concentration curves suggest controlled delivery, with most APNPs consumed in the digestive system. APNPs did not affect the overall anthocyanin absorption time or tissues. The superoxide dismutase and malondialdehyde concentrations indicate that APNPs enhance the oxidative damage protection in vivo.

Chemical Compounds of Berry-Derived Polyphenols and Their Effects on Gut Microbiota, Inflammation, and Cancer

Berry-derived polyphenols are bioactive compounds synthesized and secreted by several berry fruits. These polyphenols feature a diversity of chemical compounds, including phenolic acids and flavonoids. Here, we report the beneficial health effects of berry-derived polyphenols and their therapeutical application on gut-microbiota-related diseases, including inflammation and cancer. Pharmacokinetic investigations have confirmed the absorption, availability, and metabolism of berry-derived polyphenols. In vitro and in vivo tests, as well as clinical trials, showed that berry-derived polyphenols can positively modulate the gut microbiota, inhibiting inflammation and cancer development. Indeed, these compounds inhibit the growth of pathogenic bacteria and also promote beneficial bacteria. Moreover, berry-derived polyphenols exhibit therapeutic effects against different gut-microbiota-related disorders such as inflammation, cancer, and metabolic disorders. Moreover, these polyphenols can manage the inflammation via various mechanisms, in particular the inhibition of the transcriptional factor Nf-κB. Berry-derived polyphenols have also shown remarkable effects on different types of cancer, including colorectal, breast, esophageal, and prostate cancer. Moreover, certain metabolic disorders such as diabetes and atherosclerosis were also managed by berry-derived polyphenols through different mechanisms. These data showed that polyphenols from berries are a promising source of bioactive compounds capable of modulating the intestinal microbiota, and therefore managing cancer and associated metabolic diseases. However, further investigations should be carried out to determine the mechanisms of action of berry-derived polyphenol bioactive compounds to validate their safety and examinate their clinical uses.

A Review of the Potential Benefits of Plants Producing Berries in Skin Disorders

During the last 30 years, berries have gained great attention as functional food against several risk factors in chronic diseases. The number of related publications on Pubmed rose from 1000 items in 1990 to more than 11,000 in 2019. Despite the fact that a common and clear definition of "berries" is not shared among different scientific areas, the phytochemical pattern of these fruits is mainly characterized by anthocyanins, flavanols, flavonols, and tannins, which showed antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties in humans. Skin insults, like wounds, UV rays, and excessive inflammatory responses, may lead to chronic dermatological disorders, conditions often characterized by long-term treatments. The application of berries for skin protection is sustained by long traditional use, but many observations still require a clear pharmacological validation. This review summarizes the scientific evidence, published on EMBASE, MEDLINE, and Scholar, to identify extraction methods, way of administration, dose, and mechanism of action of berries for potential dermatological treatments. Promising in vitro and in vivo evidence of Punica granatum L. and Vitis vinifera L. supports wound healing and photoprotection, while Schisandra chinensis (Turcz.) Baill. and Vaccinium spp. showed clear immunomodulatory effects. Oral or topical administrations of these berries justify the evaluation of new translational studies to validate their efficacy in humans.

Potential interactions among phenolic compounds and probiotics for mutual boosting of their health-promoting properties and food functionalities - A review

Several foods are rich sources of phenolic compounds (PC) and their beneficial effects on human health may be increased through the action of probiotics. Additionally, probiotics may use PC as substrates, increasing their survival and functionality. This review presents available studies on the effects of PC on probiotics, including their physiological functionalities, interactions and capability of surviving during exposure to gastrointestinal conditions and when incorporated into food matrices. Studies have shown that PC can improve the adhesion capacity and survival of probiotics during exposure to conditions that mimic the gastrointestinal tract. There is strong evidence that PC can modulate the composition of the gut microbiota in hosts, improving a variety of biochemical markers and risk factors for chronic diseases. Available literature also indicates that metabolites of PC formed by intestinal microorganisms, including probiotics, exert a variety of benefits on host health. These metabolites are typically more active than parental dietary PC. The presence of PC commonly enhances probiotic survival in different foods. Finally, further clinical studies need to be developed to confirm in vitro and experimental findings concerning the beneficial interactions among different PC and probiotics.

Medicinal plants--prophylactic and therapeutic options for gastrointestinal and respiratory diseases in calves and piglets? A systematic review

BACKGROUND

Gastrointestinal and respiratory diseases in calves and piglets lead to significant economic losses in livestock husbandry. A high morbidity has been reported for diarrhea (calves ≤ 35%; piglets ≤ 50%) and for respiratory diseases (calves ≤ 80%; piglets ≤ 40%). Despite a highly diverse etiology and pathophysiology of these diseases, treatment with antimicrobials is often the first-line therapy. Multi-antimicrobial resistance in pathogens results in international accordance to strengthen the research in novel treatment options. Medicinal plants bear a potential as alternative or additional treatment. Based on the versatile effects of their plant specific multi-component-compositions, medicinal plants can potentially act as 'multi-target drugs'. Regarding the plurality of medicinal plants, the aim of this systematic review was to identify potential medicinal plant species for prevention and treatment of gastrointestinal and respiratory diseases and for modulation of the immune system and inflammation in calves and piglets.

RESULTS

Based on nine initial sources including standard textbooks and European ethnoveterinary studies, a total of 223 medicinal plant species related to the treatment of gastrointestinal and respiratory diseases was identified. A defined search strategy was established using the PRISMA statement to evaluate 30 medicinal plant species starting from 20'000 peer-reviewed articles published in the last 20 years (1994-2014). This strategy led to 418 references (257 in vitro, 84 in vivo and 77 clinical trials, thereof 48 clinical trials in veterinary medicine) to evaluate effects of medicinal plants and their efficacy in detail. The findings indicate that the most promising candidates for gastrointestinal diseases are Allium sativum L., Mentha x piperita L. and Salvia officinalis L.; for diseases of the respiratory tract Echinacea purpurea (L.) MOENCH, Thymus vulgaris L. and Althea officinalis L. were found most promising, and Echinacea purpurea (L.) MOENCH, Camellia sinensis (L.) KUNTZE, Glycyrrhiza glabra L. and Origanum vulgare L. were identified as best candidates for modulation of the immune system and inflammation.

CONCLUSIONS

Several medicinal plants bear a potential for novel treatment strategies for young livestock. There is a need for further research focused on gastrointestinal and respiratory diseases in calves and piglets, and the findings of this review provide a basis on plant selection for future studies.

Anthocyanins as inflammatory modulators and the role of the gut microbiota

The health benefits of consuming fruits that are rich in polyphenols, especially anthocyanins, have been the focus of recent in vitro and in vivo investigations. Thus, greater attention is being directed to the reduction of the inflammatory process associated with the intestinal microbiota and the mechanism underlying these effects because the microbiota has been closely associated with the metabolism of these compounds in the gastrointestinal tract. Further interest lies in the ability of these metabolites to modulate the growth of specific intestinal bacteria. Thus, this review examines studies involving the action of the anthocyanins that are present in many fruits and their effect in the modulating the inflammatory process associated with the interaction between the host and the gut microbiota. The findings of both in vitro and in vivo studies suggest a potential antiinflammatory effect of these compounds, which seem to inhibit activation of the signaling pathway mediated by the transcription factor NFκB. This effect is associated with modulation of a beneficial gut microbiota, particularly an increase in Bifidobacterium strains.

Carbon Tetrachloride Increases the Pro-inflammatory Cytokines Levels in Different Brain Areas of Wistar Rats: The Protective Effect of Acai Frozen Pulp

Acai offers health benefits associated with its high antioxidante capacity, phytochemical composition, nutritional and sensory value. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the protective effect of acai frozen pulp on carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced damage via modulation of anti- and pro-inflammatory cytokines in rat brain tissue. The rats were treated via oral (gavage) daily with water or acai frozen pulp for 14 days at a dose of 7 μL/g. On the 15th day, the animals in each group received a single intraperitoneal injection of CCl4 in a dose of 3.0 mL/kg or the same volume of mineral oil. After 4 h, the animals were euthanized by decapitation and the cerebral cortex, hippocampus and cerebellum were dissected and homogenated to evaluate the levels of tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), interleukin 1β (IL-1β), interleukin 18 (IL-18), interleukin 6 (IL-6) and interleukin 10 (IL-10). Data were statistically analyzed by analysis of variance followed by the Tukey post hoc test. It was observed that CCl4 increased TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-18 levels in all brain tissues, and that acai frozen pulp was able to prevent this increase. IL-6 and IL-10 brain tissue levels remained unchanged during all treatments. CCl4 experimental model was suitable to investigate brain tissue anti and pro-inflammatory cytokines. Acai frozen pulp prevented an increase in IL-1β, IL-18 and TNF-α, while IL-6 and IL-10 levels remained unchanged. The precise pathway by which inflammation contribute to hepatic encephalopathy, as well as to how this pathway can be modulated, is still under investigation.

The update of anthocyanins on obesity and type 2 diabetes: experimental evidence and clinical perspectives

With the dramatically increasing prevalence of obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) worldwide, there is an urgent need for new strategies to combat the growing epidemic of these metabolic diseases. Diet is an essential factor affecting the development of and risk for obesity and T2DM and it can either help or hurt. In searching for preventative and therapeutic strategies, it is therefore advantageous to consider the potential of certain foods and their bioactive compounds to reverse or prevent the pathogenic processes associated with metabolic disease. Anthocyanins are naturally occurring polyphenolic compounds abundant in dark-colored fruits, vegetables and grains. Epidemiological studies suggest that increased consumption of anthocyanins lowers the risk of T2DM. Many in vitro and in vivo studies also reveal an array of mechanisms through which anthocyanins could prevent or reverse obesity- and T2DM-related pathologies including promotion of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities, improvement of insulin resistance, and hypolipidemic and hypoglycemic actions. Here, we summarize the data on anthocyanin-mediated protection against obesity and T2DM and the underlying mechanisms. Further population-based and long-term human intervention studies are necessary to ultimately evaluate the use of anthocyanins for protection/prevention against the development of obesity and T2DM.

Anthocyanin-Rich Juice Lowers Serum Cholesterol, Leptin, and Resistin and Improves Plasma Fatty Acid Composition in Fischer Rats

Obesity and obesity-associated diseases e.g. cardiovascular diseases and type 2 diabetes are spread worldwide. Anthocyanins are supposed to have health-promoting properties, although convincing evidence is lacking. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of anthocyanins on several risk factors for obesity-associated diseases. Therefore, Fischer rats were fed anthocyanin-rich grape-bilberry juice or an anthocyanin-depleted control juice for 10 weeks. Intervention with anthocyanin-rich grape-bilberry juice reduced serum cholesterol and tended to decrease serum triglycerides. No effects were seen for serum non-esterified fatty acids, glucose, and insulin. Anthocyanin-rich grape-bilberry juice intervention reduced serum leptin and resistin, but showed no influence on serum adiponectin and secretion of adipokines from mesenteric adipose tissue. Furthermore, anthocyanin-rich grape-bilberry juice increased the proportion of polyunsaturated fatty acids and decreased the amount of saturated fatty acids in plasma. These results indicate that anthocyanins possess a preventive potential for obesity-associated diseases.