Assessment of the In Vivo Antioxidant Activity of an Anthocyanin-Rich Bilberry Extract Using the <i>Caenorhabditis elegans</i> Model
Anthocyanins have been associated with several health benefits, although the responsible mechanisms are not well established yet. In the present study, an anthocyanin-rich extract from bilberry (<i>Vaccinium myrtillus</i> L.) was tested in order to evaluate its capacity to modulate react...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2020-06-01
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| Series: | Antioxidants |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3921/9/6/509 |
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| author | Ana M. González-Paramás Virginia Brighenti Laura Bertoni Laura Marcelloni Begoña Ayuda-Durán Susana González-Manzano Federica Pellati Celestino Santos-Buelga |
| author_facet | Ana M. González-Paramás Virginia Brighenti Laura Bertoni Laura Marcelloni Begoña Ayuda-Durán Susana González-Manzano Federica Pellati Celestino Santos-Buelga |
| author_sort | Ana M. González-Paramás |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Anthocyanins have been associated with several health benefits, although the responsible mechanisms are not well established yet. In the present study, an anthocyanin-rich extract from bilberry (<i>Vaccinium myrtillus</i> L.) was tested in order to evaluate its capacity to modulate reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and resistance to thermally induced oxidative stress, using the nematode <i>Caenorhabditis elegans</i> as an in vivo model. The assays were carried out with the wild-type N2 strain and the mutant strains <i>daf-16(mu86)</i> I and <i>hsf-1(sy441)</i>, which were grown in the presence of two anthocyanin extract concentrations (5 and 10 μg/mL in the culture medium) and further subjected to thermal stress. The treatment with the anthocyanin extract at 5 μg/mL showed protective effects on the accumulation of ROS and increased thermal resistance in <i>C. elegans</i>, both in stressed and non-stressed young and aged worms. However, detrimental effects were observed in nematodes treated with 10 μg/mL, leading to a higher worm mortality rate compared to controls, which was interpreted as a hormetic response. These findings suggested that the effects of the bilberry extract on <i>C. elegans</i> might not rely on its direct antioxidant capacity, but other mechanisms could also be involved. Additional assays were performed in two mutant strains with loss-of-function for DAF-16 (abnormal DAuer Formation factor 16) and HSF-1 (Heat Shock Factor 1) transcription factors, which act downstream of the insulin/insulin like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) signaling pathway. The results indicated that the modulation of these factors could be behind the improvement in the resistance against thermal stress produced by bilberry anthocyanins in young individuals, whereas they do not totally explain the effects produced in worms in the post-reproductive development stage. Further experiments are needed to continue uncovering the mechanisms behind the biological effects of anthocyanins in living organisms, as well as to establish whether they fall within the hormesis concept. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T19:15:45Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-20aa287d9ef84ba4a3e92cfd2a940b15 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-3921 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T19:15:45Z |
| publishDate | 2020-06-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Antioxidants |
| spelling | doaj.art-20aa287d9ef84ba4a3e92cfd2a940b152023-11-20T03:23:39ZengMDPI AGAntioxidants2076-39212020-06-019650910.3390/antiox9060509Assessment of the In Vivo Antioxidant Activity of an Anthocyanin-Rich Bilberry Extract Using the <i>Caenorhabditis elegans</i> ModelAna M. González-Paramás0Virginia Brighenti1Laura Bertoni2Laura Marcelloni3Begoña Ayuda-Durán4Susana González-Manzano5Federica Pellati6Celestino Santos-Buelga7Grupo de Investigación en Polifenoles, Unidad de Nutrición y Bromatología, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad de Salamanca, Campus Miguel de Unamuno, 37007 Salamanca, SpainDepartment of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Via G. Campi 103, 41125 Modena, ItalyDepartment of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Via G. Campi 103, 41125 Modena, ItalyDepartment of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Via G. Campi 103, 41125 Modena, ItalyGrupo de Investigación en Polifenoles, Unidad de Nutrición y Bromatología, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad de Salamanca, Campus Miguel de Unamuno, 37007 Salamanca, SpainGrupo de Investigación en Polifenoles, Unidad de Nutrición y Bromatología, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad de Salamanca, Campus Miguel de Unamuno, 37007 Salamanca, SpainDepartment of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Via G. Campi 103, 41125 Modena, ItalyGrupo de Investigación en Polifenoles, Unidad de Nutrición y Bromatología, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad de Salamanca, Campus Miguel de Unamuno, 37007 Salamanca, SpainAnthocyanins have been associated with several health benefits, although the responsible mechanisms are not well established yet. In the present study, an anthocyanin-rich extract from bilberry (<i>Vaccinium myrtillus</i> L.) was tested in order to evaluate its capacity to modulate reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and resistance to thermally induced oxidative stress, using the nematode <i>Caenorhabditis elegans</i> as an in vivo model. The assays were carried out with the wild-type N2 strain and the mutant strains <i>daf-16(mu86)</i> I and <i>hsf-1(sy441)</i>, which were grown in the presence of two anthocyanin extract concentrations (5 and 10 μg/mL in the culture medium) and further subjected to thermal stress. The treatment with the anthocyanin extract at 5 μg/mL showed protective effects on the accumulation of ROS and increased thermal resistance in <i>C. elegans</i>, both in stressed and non-stressed young and aged worms. However, detrimental effects were observed in nematodes treated with 10 μg/mL, leading to a higher worm mortality rate compared to controls, which was interpreted as a hormetic response. These findings suggested that the effects of the bilberry extract on <i>C. elegans</i> might not rely on its direct antioxidant capacity, but other mechanisms could also be involved. Additional assays were performed in two mutant strains with loss-of-function for DAF-16 (abnormal DAuer Formation factor 16) and HSF-1 (Heat Shock Factor 1) transcription factors, which act downstream of the insulin/insulin like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) signaling pathway. The results indicated that the modulation of these factors could be behind the improvement in the resistance against thermal stress produced by bilberry anthocyanins in young individuals, whereas they do not totally explain the effects produced in worms in the post-reproductive development stage. Further experiments are needed to continue uncovering the mechanisms behind the biological effects of anthocyanins in living organisms, as well as to establish whether they fall within the hormesis concept.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3921/9/6/509<i>Vaccinium myrtillus</i> L.ROSthermal stressinsulin/IGF-1 signalingDAF-16HSF-1 |
| spellingShingle | Ana M. González-Paramás Virginia Brighenti Laura Bertoni Laura Marcelloni Begoña Ayuda-Durán Susana González-Manzano Federica Pellati Celestino Santos-Buelga Assessment of the In Vivo Antioxidant Activity of an Anthocyanin-Rich Bilberry Extract Using the <i>Caenorhabditis elegans</i> Model Antioxidants <i>Vaccinium myrtillus</i> L. ROS thermal stress insulin/IGF-1 signaling DAF-16 HSF-1 |
| title | Assessment of the In Vivo Antioxidant Activity of an Anthocyanin-Rich Bilberry Extract Using the <i>Caenorhabditis elegans</i> Model |
| title_full | Assessment of the In Vivo Antioxidant Activity of an Anthocyanin-Rich Bilberry Extract Using the <i>Caenorhabditis elegans</i> Model |
| title_fullStr | Assessment of the In Vivo Antioxidant Activity of an Anthocyanin-Rich Bilberry Extract Using the <i>Caenorhabditis elegans</i> Model |
| title_full_unstemmed | Assessment of the In Vivo Antioxidant Activity of an Anthocyanin-Rich Bilberry Extract Using the <i>Caenorhabditis elegans</i> Model |
| title_short | Assessment of the In Vivo Antioxidant Activity of an Anthocyanin-Rich Bilberry Extract Using the <i>Caenorhabditis elegans</i> Model |
| title_sort | assessment of the in vivo antioxidant activity of an anthocyanin rich bilberry extract using the i caenorhabditis elegans i model |
| topic | <i>Vaccinium myrtillus</i> L. ROS thermal stress insulin/IGF-1 signaling DAF-16 HSF-1 |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3921/9/6/509 |
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