Abstract
Background and aim: Ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) in the intestines activates leukocytes and reactive oxygen species (ROS) and leads to lipid peroxidation and DNA damage. Rosehips have a high content of polyphenols and might prevent lipid peroxidation. Some Lactobacillus species are capable of degrading polyphenols to simpler and non-toxic constituents, sometimes with enhanced antioxidative capacity. Methods: A mixture of eight polyphenol active Lactobacillus strains (LAB) were administered in feed together with rosehips of Rosa canina (RC) or Rosa pimpinellifolia (RP) to mice to clarify the influence on I/R-induced injury of the intestinal tract. I/R injury was induced by holding the superior mesenteric artery clamped for 30 min followed by reperfusion for 240 min. Tissue and content from colon and cecum were analyzed. Results: Administration of LAB or RP significantly decreased malondialdehyde (MDA) levels in colonic tissue (p=0.007 and p=0.035, respectively). RC contained significantly higher concentrations of monomer and dimer aglycones, glycosides, and catechin than RP, while cyanidin-3-O-glycoside was significantly higher in RP. There was a tendency towards higher values of phenolics in the mice fed either of the two rose species in combination with bacterial mixture than the mice fed the rose species alone. Total antioxidative capacity and total phenolic content were higher in the groups fed rosehips in combination with LAB than rosehips alone, although these differences were not significant. Conclusion: LAB showed metabolic activity towards polyphenols in rosehips. There is an indication that LAB together with rosehips, especially R. pimpinellifolia, may prevent and suppress I/R injury in the intestines.
Acknowledgments
The project was financed by VINNOVA, the Swedish Governmental Agency for Innovation Systems. Jonas Björk, biostatistician, Competence Center for Clinical Research, Lund University Hospital is gratefully acknowledged for the statistical analyses. All authors participated in the study design, evaluation of the results, and finalization of the manuscript. There were no conflicts of interest.
Declaration of interest: The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.