Dietary anthocyanins balance immune signs in osteoarthritis and obesity – update of human in vitro studies and clinical trials

Abstract

Anthocyanins are known to change ligand-receptor bindings, cell membrane permeability, and intracellular signaling pathways. The beneficial effects of dietary anthocyanins have been chronologically demonstrated in interventional and observational studies, including fourteen human chondrocyte studies and related cell culture assays, nineteen human clinical trials in osteoarthritis patients, seven in vivo obesity assays, nineteen in vitro assays in preadipocytes and related cells, and twenty-two clinical trials in overweight/obese subjects, which are critically discussed in this update. Strawberries, cherries, berries, pomegranate, tropical fruits, rosehip, purple rice, purple corn, red beans, and black soybean, together with cyanidin, delphinidin, malvidin, peonidin, some 3-O-glycosides, metabolites, and acylated anthocyanins from a potato cultivar have shown the best outcomes. The set of these five key tests and clinical trials, taken together, contributes to the understanding of the underlying mechanisms and pathways involved. Furthermore, this set shows the value of anthocyanins in counteracting the progression of osteoarthritis/obesity. The interplay between the inflammation of osteoarthritis and obesity, and the subsequent regulation/immunomodulation was performed through isolated and food anthocyanins. The antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and immunomodulatory properties of anthocyanins explain the findings of the studies analyzed. However, further interventional studies should be conducted to finally establish the appropriate doses for anthocyanin supplementation, dose-response, and length of consumption, to include dietary recommendations for osteoarthritis/obese patients for preventive and management purposes.

Keywords:

• Chondrocyte assays
• clinical trials
• dietary anthocyanins
• flavonoids
• immune system
• inflammation
• nutraceuticals
• obesity
• osteoarthritis
• preadipocyte assays
• signaling pathways

Acknowledgements

We thank the Ministerio de Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación (Argentina) for electronic library facilities. N.A.S. thanks the Research Council of Argentina (CONICET) for a research fellowship. A.B.P. and P.R.D. are Research Members of CONICET. All authors have read and approved the final manuscript.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

Supported by the governmental National Research Council of Argentina (CONICET; PIP0311) and Universidad de Buenos Aires (Argentina).