Relationship between polyphenol content and anti-influenza viral effects of berries.
BACKGROUND
Berries are known to have many kinds of biological activities. We focused on their antiviral effect, which has not yet been well evaluated.


RESULTS
We compared the anti-influenza viral effects of berries belonging to the genus Vaccinium - 35 species of blueberry (Vaccinium cyanococcus), the Natsuhaze (Vaccinium oldhamii), bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus) and cranberry (Vaccinium oxycoccos)- with those belonging to the genus Ribes, i.e. blackcurrant (Ribes nigrum). Only Elliott and Legacy among Northern Highbush varieties but many Rabbiteye varieties such as Austin, Baldwin, Brightblue, Festival, T-100 and Tifblue showed anti-influenza viral activity. Natsuhaze, bilberry, cranberry and blackcurrant had high antiviral effects. A relationship was observed between the antiviral effect and total polyphenol content.


CONCLUSIONS
Antiviral effects were found to differ markedly between berry species. Rabbiteye varieties tended to have higher antiviral effects than Northern, Southern and Half Highbush blueberry varieties. We also found that Natsuhaze, which has recently been harvested in Japan as a potential functional food, had an antiviral effect comparable to that of bilberry, cranberry and blackcurrant. There was a positive relationship between antiviral activity and polyphenol content, indicating the possibility that polyphenol is one of the key factors in the antiviral effects of berries.
Product Quality and Processing Division, Fukushima Agricultural Technology Centre, Fukushima, Japan.
Haruhito
H
Sekizawa
Kazufumi
K
Ikuta
Katsumi
K
Mizuta
Seiichi
S
Takechi
Tatsuo
T
Suzutani
D000327:Adsorption / Q000187:drug effects; D000818:Animals; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D029798:Blueberry Plants / Q000737:chemistry / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D002460:Cell Line; D004285:Dogs; D005060:Europe; D005638:Fruit / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D055951:Functional Food / Q000032:analysis*; D009980:Influenza A virus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development*; D007564:Japan; D061985:Madin Darby Canine Kidney Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000821:virology; D050296:Microbial Viability / Q000187:drug effects; D009520:New Zealand; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology; D059808:Polyphenols / Q000032:analysis* / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000494:pharmacology; D031965:Ribes / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D013045:Species Specificity; D014481:United States; D029796:Vaccinium / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D053585:Virus Attachment / Q000187:drug effects; D055814:Wilderness
D000998:Antiviral Agents; D010936:Plant Extracts; D059808:Polyphenols