Water Deficit and Methyl Jasmonate Enhance the Antiplatelet Potential of Blueberries Through Changes in Selected...

Agronomic modulation of secondary metabolism may influence not only crop resilience but also the biological activity of fruit-derived phytochemicals. In this study, we evaluated the impact of exogenous methyl jasmonate (MeJA) application under contrasting water regimes on the selected phenolic compounds and vascular bioactivity of Vaccinium corymbosum L. cv. Legacy. Antioxidant capacity was assessed by FRAP and DPPH assays, phytochemical composition was characterized by HPLC-DAD, and antiplatelet activity was evaluated through inhibition of TRAP-6-induced P-selectin (CD62P) expression in human platelets. Selected phenolic constituents were further examined using molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations against a platelet receptor model. Although MeJA treatment altered the abundance of selected phenolic compounds identified by HPLC-DAD, total antioxidant capacity remained largely unchanged. Blueberry extracts significantly inhibited platelet activation in a concentration-dependent manner without cytotoxic effects, and antiplatelet potency was not strictly related to global antioxidant indices. Computational analyses revealed stable ligand-receptor interactions and favorable binding free energies for selected phenolics, providing a structural explanation for receptor-level modulation. These findings suggest that elicitor-driven responses in blueberries can influence platelet functional responses and highlight the importance of qualitative phytochemical composition in determining vascular bioactivity. This multiscale approach connects plant stress physiology, natural product chemistry, and human platelet biology, underscoring the translational relevance of agronomic strategies for nutraceutical functionality.