Influence of Kiwi Fruit on Immunity and Its Anti-oxidant Effects in Mice

Abstract

We have been investigating the immunopotentiating activity (biological response modifier (BRM)-like activity) of different fruits and attempting to clarify whether the level of this activity is consistent with the content of vitamins or other major nutrients in these fruit. In this study, we focused on kiwi fruit, which contains vitamin C and polyphenol and has a high BRM-like activity and anti-oxidant activity. We evaluated differences in this activity according to the strain and maturity. To determine the antioxidant effects of oral kiwi fruit intraperitoneal administration, mice were administered kiwi fruit juice. It was found that the BRM-like activity of green kiwi fruit was slightly higher than that of gold kiwi fruit, but the differences were slight between strains and maturity level. After oral administration of kiwi fruit juice to mice, cytokine production increased. The evaluation of urinary oxidative stress markers revealed marked inhibition of in vivo oxidative stress following oral kiwi fruit administration. These results suggest that kiwi fruit intake has beneficial effects on the body, increasing cytokine production and exerting antioxidant effects.

Effects of feeding polyphenol‐rich winery wastes on digestibility, nitrogen utilization, ruminal fermentation, antioxidant status and oxidative stress in wethers

“…Iwasawa et al . () reported that the urinary 8‐OHdG concentration in mice decreased after feeding kiwi fruit rich in polyphenols. Similar results were obtained from the studies by Fukuda et al .…”

Anti-oxidant Effects of Kiwi Fruit in Vitro and in Vivo

“…A previous study by oral administration in mice suggested that kiwi fruit may have anti-oxidant effects in vivo. 16) Thus, anti-oxidant effects were examined in healthy volunteers. Anti-oxidant effects were measured using oxidative stress markers excreted in urine, 8-hydroxy-2Ј-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) and N-e-(hexanoyl)-lysine (HEL).…”

“…[14][15][16] Kiwi fruit was one of the foods found to have immunostimulatory activity. Kiwi fruit is rich in vitamins and polyphenols and has strong anti-oxidant effects.…”

“…The results demonstrated that the oral administration of kiwi fruit reduced oxidative stress markers. 16) Anti-oxidant effects of kiwi fruit in vitro have been reported. 18,19) However, few reports have been published on studies comparing the anti-oxidant effects among fruits using several indicators.…”

Protective effect of guabiju (Myrcianthes pungens (O. Berg) D. Legrand) and red guava (Psidium cattleyanum Sabine) against cisplatin-induced hypercholesterolemia in rats

“…Also, the benefits of native and exotic fruits have been reported in various studies. There is no doubt that fruits in the diet provide compounds capable of inhibiting various diseases and of contributing to a balanced diet (Iwasawa et al, 2010).…”