Antioxidant and Antisenescence Effects of Bergamot Juice

Abstract

Aging is one of the main risk factor for the onset of cardiovascular diseases; one of the possible explanations could be linked to the age-associated overproduction of free radicals. This increase of oxidative stress can be overcome with a high intake of food antioxidants. In this context, a number of studies have been addressed to assess the antiaging potential of natural antioxidant compounds. Recently, it has been shown that the juice of bergamot (Citrus bergamia Risso et Poiteau), a fruit mostly produced in the Ionian coastal areas of Southern Italy (Calabria), is a valuable source of health-promoting constituents with, among other, antioxidant properties. In order to investigate the potential antiaging effects of this Mediterranean natural antioxidant source, bergamot juices of three different cultivars (“fantastico,” “femminello,” and “castagnaro”) were herein characterized by the mean of high-performance liquid chromatography-photodiode array-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry. Then, juices were investigated for the evaluation of total polyphenolic and flavonoid contents, cell-free model antioxidant activities, and in vitro antiaging properties on two different cellular models of induced myocardial senescence. The best performing juice was also assessed in vivo. The phytochemical profiles confirmed that juices were rich in flavonoids, both flavone and flavanone glycosides. In addition, two limonoid glycosides were also identified in all cultivars. Each cultivar showed different phenolic and flavonoid contents. In tube results showed the juice robust antioxidant activities that correlate with their phenolic and flavonoid contents. Moreover, for the first time, the ability of juice to counteract the chemical-induced senescence was here demonstrated in both cellular models. Lastly, the in vivo data obtained from mouse hearts evidenced an increase in transcription of genes involved in antiaging and antioxidant responses. The overall results suggest that bergamot juice exerts antioxidant and antisenescence effects, making it useful for nutraceutical purposes.

Chemical analysis and antioxidant properties of orange‐tree (Citrus sinensis L.) biomass extracts obtained via different extraction techniques

“…Flavonoids also present numerous healthy effects. One of these is the antioxidant activity that prevents the risk of developing age‐related vascular disease …”

Effects of Orange Extracts on Longevity, Healthspan, and Stress Resistance in Caenorhabditis elegans

“…Citrus flavanone naringenin was shown to prevent myocardial cells from senescence through the modulation of cell cycle regulators, ROS levels, and mitochondrial metabolic activities [15]. The juice of bergamot (Citrus bergamia Risso et Poiteau) counteracted the senescence processes in senescent H9c2 cells and old mice [16]. All findings revealed that orange phytochemicals might have anti-aging effect on lifespan.…”

The Citrus Flavonoid Naringenin Protects the Myocardium from Ageing-Dependent Dysfunction: Potential Role of SIRT1

“…Moreover, we recently observed that NAR also exerts antisenescence effects. In particular, in H9c2 cardiomyoblasts submitted to oxidative stress by H 2 O 2 treatment, NAR contained the βgalactosidase activity, as well as the expression of p21 and p16, well-known markers of ageing [15]; furthermore, bergamot juice, containing a high amount of NAR, increased the genic expression of the antiageing markers SIRT1, Nrf2, and FOXO1 in cardiac tissues [16]. Noteworthly, NAR exhibits close structural analogies with well-known SIRT1 activators, such as such as resveratrol (RES) and quercetin [17][18][19][20].…”