Abstract
Anthocyanins from Vaccinium myrtillus fruits have been reported in vitro to exert potent radical scavenging and antiglycation activities. However, the physiological relevance of such properties remains unclear given the potential susceptibility of anthocyanin derivatives to digestive conditions. A simulated gastrointestinal tract model was thus implemented to assess the impact of gastric and intestinal phases on the chemical integrity of bilberry anthocyanins and their antiglycoxidant effects. Results demonstrated that the investigated activities as well as total and individual anthocyanin contents were marginally affected by gastric conditions. By contrast, with recoveries ranging from 16.1 to 41.2%, bilberry anthocyanins were shown to be highly sensitive to the intestinal phase. Of major interest, a much better preservation was observed for radical scavenging and antiglycation activities as attested by recovery rates ranging from 79.1 to 86.7%. Consistently with previous observations, the present study confirms the moderate bioaccessibility of anthocyanin constituents. It does however provide valuable information supporting the persistence of substantial radical scavenging and antiglycation activities at each step of the digestion process. Taken together, these data indicate that digestive conditions might not abolish the potential positive effects of bilberry consumption on both oxidative and carbonyl stresses.
Highlights
Vaccinium myrtillus L. (Ericaceae) is a deciduous low growing shrub that produces dark purple edible berries
Most of them occur as glycosides in nature and are derived from six principal aglycones moieties that include cyanidin, delphinidin, malvidin, pelargonidin, peonidin, and petunidin [3]
Bilberry has been reported to contain a substantial diversity of anthocyanin structures, and all the major anthocyanidins are represented with the sole exception of pelargonidin [4]
Summary
Vaccinium myrtillus L. (Ericaceae) is a deciduous low growing shrub that produces dark purple edible berries. Its fruits are regarded as one of the richest natural sources of anthocyanins, with contents amounting to approximately 0.5% in fresh material [1]. With more than 700 constituents reported so far [2], anthocyanins constitute an important group of phenolic compounds belonging to the family of flavonoids. These water-soluble pigments are accountable for the red, pink, blue, and purple colors of numerous flowers and fruits. Bilberry has been reported to contain a substantial diversity of anthocyanin structures, and all the major anthocyanidins are represented with the sole exception of pelargonidin [4]
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