title: Wild Blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium Ait.) Polyphenols Target Fusobacterium nucleatum and the Host Inflammatory Response: Potential Innovative Molecules for Treating Periodontal Diseases.
abstract: Blueberries contain significant amounts of flavonoids to which a number of beneficial health effects in humans have been associated. The present study investigated the effect of a polyphenol-rich lowbush blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium Ait.) extract on the two main etiologic components of periodontitis, a multifactorial disorder affecting the supporting structures of the teeth. Phenolic acids, flavonoids (flavonols, anthocyanins, flavan-3-ols), and procyanidins made up 16.6, 12.9, and 2.7% of the blueberry extract, respectively. The blueberry extract showed antibacterial activity (MIC = 1 mg/mL) against the periodontopathogenic bacterium Fusobacterium nucleatum. This property may result from the ability of blueberry polyphenols to chelate iron. Moreover, the blueberry extract at 62.5 μg/mL inhibited F. nucleatum biofilm formation by 87.5 ± 2.3%. Subsequently, the ability of the blueberry extract to inhibit the NF-κB signaling pathway in U937-3xκB cells was investigated. The blueberry extract dose-dependently inhibited the activation of NF-κB induced by F. nucleatum. In addition, a pretreatment of macrophages with the blueberry extract (62.5 μg/mL) inhibited the secretion of IL-1β, TNF-α, and IL-6 by 87.3 ± 1.3, 80.7 ± 5.6, and 28.2 ± 9.3%, respectively, following a stimulation with F. nucleatum. Similarly, the secretion of MMP-8 and MMP-9 was also dose-dependently inhibited. This dual antibacterial and anti-inflammatory action of lowbush blueberry polyphenols suggests that they may be promising candidates for novel therapeutic agents.
authors.affiliation: †Oral Ecology Research Group, Faculty of Dentistry, and ‡Institute of Nutrition and Functional Foods, Université Laval, Quebec City, QC, Canada.
authors.forename: Amel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ben Lagha
authors.affiliation: †Oral Ecology Research Group, Faculty of Dentistry, and ‡Institute of Nutrition and Functional Foods, Université Laval, Quebec City, QC, Canada.
authors.forename: Stéphanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dudonné
authors.affiliation: †Oral Ecology Research Group, Faculty of Dentistry, and ‡Institute of Nutrition and Functional Foods, Université Laval, Quebec City, QC, Canada.
authors.forename: Yves
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Desjardins
authors.affiliation: †Oral Ecology Research Group, Faculty of Dentistry, and ‡Institute of Nutrition and Functional Foods, Université Laval, Quebec City, QC, Canada.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Grenier
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D029798:Blueberry Plants / Q000737:chemistry*; D016967:Fusobacterium nucleatum / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development; D006801:Humans; D008264:Macrophages / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D010510:Periodontal Diseases / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D059808:Polyphenols / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D010936:Plant Extracts; D059808:Polyphenols
keywords: biofilm; blueberry; cytokine; matrix metalloproteinase; periodontal disease