Blueberry and cranberry extracts mitigate CCL4-induced liver damage, suppressing liver fibrosis, inflammation and oxidative stress

The current study aims to evaluate potential hepatoprotective effect of lingonberry, cranberry and blueberry polyphenols on carbon tetrachloride (CCL-4)-induced acute and subacute liver injury in rats. A total of 55 male Wistar rats, divided into six experimental and control groups. With the exception of the negative control group, all groups received an intraperitoneal injection of CCl-4, twice a week for 14 days. An extract of lingonberry, cranberry, blueberry polyphenols and the positive control, silymarin were administered daily via intragastric route, for 14 consecutive days. The untreated control group showed characteristic of classical oxidative stress-mediated liver damage with vacuolization of the hepatocyte cytoplasm, infiltration by immune cells and proliferation of collagen fibers, decrease in body weight and increase in liver weight; increased levels of AST and ALT in serum, an increased lipid peroxidation in the liver. However, the use of cranberry and blueberry polyphenols significantly suppressed liver damage, exerting an effect comparable to the hepatoprotective effect of the positive control. The extracts prevented and reduced inflammatory liver damage by reducing IL-6, TNF-α and IFN-γ levels. In conclusion, blueberry and cranberry extracts have a protective effect against acute and subacute CCl4-induced hepatotoxicity in rats

Comparison of Phenolic Content in Cabernet Sauvignon and Saperavi Wines

Several studies reveal that the phenolic compounds present in the wine and their concentrations determine physiological activities of the red wine. In this study, the main polyphenol components, including hydroxycinnamic acids, flavones, flavan-3-ols and stilbenoids, were investigated via HLPC-UV in the “Cabernet Sauvignon” and “Saperavi” wines selected from different regions and different years. In assistance of a meta-analysis, we found that there are no fundamental differences in phenolic compounds between the wines Cabernet Sauvignon and Saperavi. However, the amounts of several important phenolic materials such as catechin, caffeic acid, p-coumaric acid, chlorogenic acid and myricetin significantly higher in Saperavi wine as compared to Cabernet Sauvignon. Moreover, on the basis of the correlation analysis, we assume that flavones synthesis and regulation of stilbenoids coordinated to a greater extent in “Saperavi” than in “Cabernet Sauvignon”