Blueberry as a source of bioactive compounds for the treatment of obesity, type 2 diabetes and chronic inflammation

Abstract

Recent experimental and clinical studies suggest that consumption of blueberry products has potential health benefits in ameliorating the development of obesity and its related comorbidities, including type 2 diabetes (T2D) and chronic inflammation. Blueberry fruits are enriched with numerous bioactive components such as vitamins, phenolic acid and anthocyanins which could contribute to these protective effects. Possible mechanisms by which blueberries exert their beneficial properties include counteracting oxidative stress, regulating glucose metabolism, improving lipid profile, and lowering inflammatory cytokine levels in animal models and preliminary human trials. This review focuses on the potential role of blueberries as a functional food in the prevention and treatment of obesity and its comorbidities.Although the current evidence is promising, further randomized controlled studies in the longer term are needed to evaluate the role of blueberries and blueberry extracts to support human health.

Bioavailable Blueberry‐Derived Phenolic Acids at Physiological Concentrations Enhance Nrf2‐Regulated Antioxidant Responses in Human Vascular Endothelial Cells

“…Epidemiological studies, together with animal and clinical research, suggest that blueberry fruit intake is associated with health benefits related to improved endothelial and vascular functions . Acute (<24 h) and chronic (6–8 weeks) intake of blueberries have been shown to benefit endothelial function, evaluated as improved brachial flow‐mediated dilation or peripheral arterial tone in healthy adults .…”

“…In addition, blueberry intake may confer health benefits for people with metabolic syndrome, prehypertension, or stage I hypertension . Blueberries contain many potentially bioactive compounds and nutrients including polyphenols, that could contribute to their health‐promoting properties . Blueberry polyphenols, and in particular the anthocyanins, are known to be extensively metabolized, with phenolic acids being identified as one of the most abundant classes of metabolites, with varying levels and duration in the circulation .…”

“…Blueberries contain many potentially bioactive compounds and nutrients including polyphenols, that could contribute to their health‐promoting properties . Blueberry polyphenols, and in particular the anthocyanins, are known to be extensively metabolized, with phenolic acids being identified as one of the most abundant classes of metabolites, with varying levels and duration in the circulation . Recent human bioavailability studies indicated that some of the circulating phenolic acids following blueberry intake are present in the fruit itself, whereas others have been proposed to arise from first‐pass metabolism of anthocyanins and/or as a result of metabolism by intestinal microbiota .…”

“…Little is known about how these metabolites affect vascular function or what concentrations are required for bioactivity. Well‐designed in vitro studies exploring the effects of bioavailable phenolic compounds and metabolites on endothelial cells are required …”

Quality and Consumer Acceptance of Berry Fruit Pomace–Fortified Specialty Mustard

“…However, berry FP, particularly from cranberry ( Vaccinium macrocarpon ) and blueberry ( Vaccinium corymbosum ), has high levels of phenolics (Li, Feng, Huang, & An, ; Mildner‐Szkudlarz et al., ) and dietary fibers (DFs) (Gouw, Jung, & Zhao, ). Several studies have reported the potential anticancer, antioxidant, and antimicrobial properties of blueberry pomace (BP) and cranberry pomace (CP) (Das, Islam, Marcone, Warriner, & Diarra, ; Huang, Zhang, Liu, & Li, ; Rupasinghe, Neir, & Parmar, ; Shi, Loftus, McAinch, & Su, ). Berry FPs also retain a significant amount of color, aroma, and flavor compounds, and can therefore provide desirable sensory attributes to food products.…”