Effects of polyphenol-rich extract from berries of Aronia melanocarpa on the markers of oxidative stress and blood platelet activation

Abstract

Bioactive substances found in numerous foods can be successfully and safely used to modify various cellular functions and affect the oxidative stress. Aronia melanocarpa fruits (Rosaceae) are one of the richest plant sources of phenolic substances shown to have anti-inflammatory, antitumor, antioxidative and antiplatelet activities. We investigated antioxidant properties of the extract from berries of A. melanocarpa by the estimation of the selected and other biomarkers of oxidative stress, i.e. the level of 8-epi-prostaglandin F₂ (8-EPI) (by immunoassay kit) and the amount of glutathione (by HPLC method) in control platelets and platelets treated with H₂O₂. The expression of α_IIbβ₃ (a marker of platelet activation) was measured by flow cytometer. The antioxidative and antiplatelet properties of the tested extract were also compared with the action of a well characterized antioxidative and antiplatelet commercial monomeric polyphenol–resveratrol. The extract from berries of A. melanocarpa (at the highest tested concentration −100 µg/ml) decreased the production of 8-EPI (a marker of lipid peroxidation) in control blood platelets and platelets treated with H₂O₂ (2 mM). A combined action of the tested plant extract and H₂O₂ evoked a significant increase of reduced form of glutathione in platelets compared with cells treated with H₂O₂ only. Moreover, the tested plant extract (at the highest used concentration −100 µg/ml) reduced the expression of α_IIbβ₃ on blood platelets. Comparative studies indicate that the tested plant extract was found to be more reactive in blood platelets than the solution of pure resveratrol.

• Aronia melanocarpa (Rosaceae)
• oxidative stress
• blood platelets
• isoprostanes
• integrin α_IIbβ₃

Acknowledgements

We are grateful to Professor E. Bald and Dr R. Glowacki from Department of Environmental Chemistry, University of Lodz, for their help with the HPLC method. This work was supported by grants 505/373 from University of Lodz.