title: Comparative antioxidant activity of cultivated and wild Vaccinium species investigated by EPR, human neutrophil burst and COMET assay.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The Vaccinium (V.) spp. berries are considered a source of antioxidants, mainly belonging to polyphenols, specifically flavonoids and anthocyanins. Wild genotypes generally contain more antioxidants than cultivated counterparts. So, seven different antioxidants assays on extracts from cultivated and wild Vaccinium berries were performed, to evaluate their difference in terms of bioactivity on oxidative protection and minimum dosage to have a significant action.
  
  
  METHODS
  Four cell-free antioxidant assays (ABTS radical scavenging and electronic paramagnetic resonance using Fremy's salt, superoxide anion and hydroxyl radical), and three assays on human cells (two luminol amplified chemiluminescence, LACL, one on DNA damage, COMET) were used to measure the effects of cultivated blueberry (V. corymbosum) and wild bilberry (V. myrtillus) on the differently induced oxidative stress. Concentrations vs activity patterns were obtained by successive dilutions of extracts in order to identify both EC50 and minimum significant activity (MSA).
  
  
  RESULTS
  All the assays (except for the hydroxyl radical scavenging) showed a good relationship mainly with anthocyanin and polyphenol content and the significant greater activity of wild Vaccinium extracts. In fact, LACL data gave an EC50 of 11.8 and an MSA of 5.2 g were calculated as fresh weight dosage in cultivated berries, compared with lower doses in wild berries, EC50 of 5.7 g and MSA of 3.4 g.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Wild Vaccinium extracts averaged 3.04 and 2.40 fold more activity than cultivated extracts by EC50 and MSA, respectively. COMET assay confirmed the stronger action on DNA protection in wild samples.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of Milan, Milano, Italy. roberto.loscalzo@entecra.it.
authors.forename: P C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Braga
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Antonacci
authors.forename: Y Y
authors.initials: YY
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Lattuada
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dal Sasso
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Marabini
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fibiani
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lo Scalzo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D052160:Benzothiazoles / Q000737:chemistry; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D020552:Comet Assay; D004249:DNA Damage; D004578:Electron Spin Resonance Spectroscopy; D005638:Fruit; D006801:Humans; D017665:Hydroxyl Radical / Q000737:chemistry; D049449:Luminescence; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D016897:Respiratory Burst / Q000187:drug effects; D013451:Sulfonic Acids / Q000737:chemistry; D029796:Vaccinium
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D052160:Benzothiazoles; D010936:Plant Extracts; D013451:Sulfonic Acids; C002502:2,2'-azino-di-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline)-6-sulfonic acid; D017665:Hydroxyl Radical