Currentdietary guidelines from several countries recommend regular consumption of
fruits and vegetables to improve quality of life. Fruits and vegetables are
nutrient-dense foods with significant amounts of phytochemicals. Phytochemicals
are chemical compounds naturally available in plant-derived foods. These
health-promoting substances belong to a number of chemical families.
Berries are generally
implied to “small fruits” and include blueberries, raspberries, blackberries,
Saskatoon berries, cranberries and others. All of these fruits are known for
their high concentrations of antioxidant phytochemicals. reported that high
tocol contents of seed oil from blueberries, black raspberries and blackberries
are responsible for the antioxidant properties of the seed oils. Another recent
study reported significant antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of
methanolic extracts of Goji berry, blueberry and cranberry in both in vitro and
in vivo settings. Similarly, blueberry anthocyanins reduced the
oxidative stress status in endothelial cells. Furthermore, orally-administered
blueberry extract prevented the development of Dextran Sodium Sulfate
(DSS)-induced ulcerative colitis in mice. Anti-inflammatory and antioxidant
activities of blueberry derived pterostilbene were reported to be responsible
for prevention of corneal epithelial cell injuries in an in vitro model.
Consumption of blueberries at 8% (w/w) over 16 weeks was associated with
prevention of Diethyl Nitrosamine (DEN)-induced hepatic cirrhosis and
pre-neoplastic lesions in rats; this effect was thought to be mediated through
antioxidant properties of blueberries.
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