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Viburnum opulus Fruit Phenolic Compounds as Cytoprotective Agents Able to Decrease Free Fatty Acids and Glucose
Małgorzata Zakłos-Szyda1, Nina Pawlik2, Dominika Polka2
1Institute of Technical Biochemistry, Faculty of Biotechnology and Food Sciences, Lodz University of Technology, Stefanowskiego 4/10, 90-924 Lodz, Poland. malgorzata.zaklos-szyda@p.lodz.pl.
Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland)
|August 4, 2019
Summary
Viburnum opulus berry extracts rich in polyphenols show potential in preventing chronic diseases. These extracts reduce oxidative stress and lower glucose and fatty acid uptake in cells, suggesting use in functional foods.
Area of Science:
- Nutritional Science
- Pharmacology
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Growing interest in food-derived phytocompounds for human health benefits.
- Polyphenols, abundant in Viburnum opulus berries, possess strong antioxidant activity.
- Viburnum opulus is underutilized in Western Europe despite its potential health benefits.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate Viburnum opulus phenolic extracts as preventive agents against diet-related chronic diseases.
- To assess the cytoprotective effects of these extracts against oxidative stress.
- To determine their ability to lower lipid accumulation and attenuate glucose and free fatty acid (FFA) uptake in Caco-2 cells.
Main Methods:
- Preparation of four phenolic extracts from Viburnum opulus: crude juice, juice-isolated phenolics, and two pomace extracts.
- Evaluation of biological activity using Caco-2 cell models.
- Measurement of glucose and FFA uptake, lipid accumulation, cell viability, and gene expression (CD36/FAT, GLUT2, PPARα).
- Assessment of chemopreventive activity against chemically induced oxidative stress and DNA damage.
Main Results:
- The phenolic-rich fraction from fruit juice demonstrated the strongest activity in reducing glucose and FFA uptake and lipid accumulation in Caco-2 cells without impacting viability.
- This observed uptake attenuation correlated with decreased CD36/FAT gene expression, but not GLUT2 or PPARα levels.
- Extracts exhibited significant chemopreventive effects against oxidative stress and DNA damage.
Conclusions:
- Viburnum opulus fruit is a valuable dietary source of phytocompounds with significant biological activity.
- These compounds show potential for use in functional foods and supplements to manage postprandial glucose and fatty acid levels.
- Further research is needed to elucidate the mechanisms, such as potential modulation of cellular membrane dynamics.
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