Day 1: Aronia impacts immune function

Aronia improves immune function, and thus, overall health

We all know that the immune system is our body’s defense system against invaders (or infectious agents) such viruses and bacteria. However, something you might not know is how that the immune system is absolutely critical to normal bodily functions like digestion, regulating blood pressure, and managing chronic inflammation. Having a healthy immune system is not just about defending your body from nasty invaders, but also about overall health of every organ system.

Fortunately, consuming foods in our diet that support and possibly enhance immune function is impactful; making great choices about what we put in our bodies can help us function better and be more healthy. Such foods include berries packed full of compounds that improve cell function, ability to handle stress, and recovery from stress. Even the pigmentation that gives color to berries, some of which are called anthocyanins, are seen to have health benefits. Anthocyanins have a high amount of biological activity in inflammatory-related diseases such as cancer [1], diabetes [2], and cardiovascular disease [3]. Examples of anthocyanin-rich sources include blueberries, elderberry (also known as sambucus), and cherries.

For example, anthocyanins from wild blueberry powder were found to lower a pro-inflammatory protein complex called NF-κB in cell cultures [4], rats [5], and humans [6]. In elderberry, an anthocyanin called cyanidin 3-glucoside has been shown to significantly suppress the transmission of viruses in cell cultures, illustrating promising potential as a nutraceutical treatment for influenza [7].

There is one berry that stands out among the rest: the chokeberry, also known as aronia. There are several species of the chokeberry, but the black chokeberry in particular has been of great interest in the scientific community. This is due to its notably dark purple pigmentation, indicating its dense anthocyanin content, which is estimated to be the highest plant content of anthocyanin measured to date [8]!

            Aronia has demonstrated its powerful anti-inflammatory effects in various ways. One way this has been shown is with the chronic digestive disorder colitis. Aronia appears to directly stimulate a type of immune protein called IL-10, which is vital to keeping excess intestinal inflammation at bay [9]. This berry has also shown to produce a mild but significant reduction in blood pressure, a symptom of what’s called “low-grade inflammation”. The reduction of this low-grade inflammation was explained by Aronia’s ability to decrease the inflammatory biomarkers IL-4, IL-5, and tumor necrosis factor-α in a 16-week human trial [10].

            Aronia has also been shown to exhibit antibacterial and antiviral properties with its impressive anti-inflammatory abilities. An interesting speculation regarding aronia’s antibacterial properties is that it has shown to inhibit the growth of many different types of bacteria, while at the same time illustrating a lower potential for bacteria to develop resistance to it in comparison to some antibiotics [11]. It has also exhibited its antiviral properties against two types of the influenza virus: seasonal and oseltamivir-resistant (meaning that it is resistant to the common antiviral medication commonly known as Tamiflu). Impressively, it was able to inhibit nearly 70% of both types of virus [12].

There is still much more to be done and especially in human subject studies. There are many studies using bacteria, mice, and cell cultures, but not nearly as many in clinical human trials. However, there are enough out there that do exist that allows us to see the general direction Aronia research is headed in, and it looks like a good one for sure. Consider including aronia and other immune-enhancing foods in your diet to improve your physical and physiological resiliency!

• article by Zachary MacDonald, Ph.D. student, Department of Kinesiology, University of Connecticut, nationally-ranked #3 Kinesiology doctoral program in the United States (by NAK)

Zach MacDonald is a Ph.D. student (Graduate Research Fellow) funded by a 3-year USDA NIFA grant. The USDA-funded project goals include studying not only whether aronia increases longevity (healthspan), survival and recovery from stress and toxin exposure, and resiliency to infection, but also HOW the berry does so. He is using animal models and will conduct human studies to take advantage of different model systems to truly understand what the power of aronia.

“Zachary is the perfect combination of athlete, scientist, communicator, and developing sport and nutrition expert. His abilities to translate what he does in the laboratory to communication to others and practice in the gym is going to take him very far in his future as a leader in the field. He tackles difficult experiments that others would probably give up on, to help the EC Lee Lab answer fundamental questions about nutrition, sport performance, and most importantly, health.” -Dr. Lee

Email Zach or Dr. Lee!

zachary.macdonald@uconn.edu

elaine.c.lee@uconn.edu

References

1. Zhou, Y., Zheng, J., Li, Y., Xu, D.-P., Li, S., Chen, Y.-M., & Li, H.-B. (2016). Natural Polyphenols for Prevention and Treatment of Cancer. Nutrients, 8(8), 515. doi: 10.3390/nu8080515

2. Badescu, M., Badulescu, O., Badescu, L., & Ciocoiu, M. (2015). Effects of Sambucus nigra and Aronia melanocarpa extracts on immune system disorders within diabetes mellitus. Pharmaceutical Biology, 53, 533–539.

3. Zapolska-Downar, D., Byrk, D., Malecki, M., Hajdukiewicz, K., & Sitkiewicz, D. (2012). Aronia melanocarpa fruit extract exhibits anti-inflammatory activity in human aortic endothelial cells. European Journal of Nutrition, 51, 563–572.

4. Taverniti, V., Fracassetti, D., Bo’, C. D., Lanti, C., Minuzzo, M., Klimis-Zacas, D., … Guglielmetti, S. (2014). Immunomodulatory Effect of a Wild Blueberry Anthocyanin-Rich Extract in Human Caco-2 Intestinal Cells. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 62(33), 8346–8351. doi: 10.1021/jf502180j

5. Vendrame, S., Daugherty, A., Kristo, A. S., Riso, P., & Klimis-Zacas, D. (2013). Wild blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium) consumption improves inflammatory status in the obese Zucker rat model of the metabolic syndrome. The Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry, 24(8), 1508–1512. doi: 10.1016/j.jnutbio.2012.12.010

6. Karlsen, A., Retterstøl, L., Laake, P., Paur, I., Kjølsrud-Bøhn, S., Sandvik, L., & Blomhoff, R. (2007). Anthocyanins Inhibit Nuclear Factor-κB Activation in Monocytes and Reduce Plasma Concentrations of Pro-Inflammatory Mediators in Healthy Adults. The Journal of Nutrition, 137(8), 1951–1954. doi: 10.1093/jn/137.8.1951

7. Torabian, G., Valtchev, P., Adil, Q., & Dehghani, F. (2019). Anti-influenza activity of elderberry (Sambucus nigra). Journal of Functional Foods, 54, 353–360. doi: 10.1016/j.jff.2019.01.031

8. Wu, X., Gu, L., Prior, R. L., & Mckay, S. (2004). Characterization of Anthocyanins and Proanthocyanidins in Some Cultivars ofRibes,Aronia, andSambucusand Their Antioxidant Capacity. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 52(26), 7846–7856. doi: 10.1021/jf0486850

9. Martin, D. A., Smyth, J. A., Liu, Z., & Bolling, B. W. (2018). Aronia berry (Aronia mitschurinii ‘Viking’) inhibits colitis in mice and inhibits T cell tumour necrosis factor-α secretion. Journal of Functional Foods, 44, 48–57. doi: 10.1016/j.jff.2018.02.025

10. Loo, B.-M., Erlund, I., Koli, R., Puukka, P., Hellström, J., Wähälä, K., … Jula, A. (2016). Consumption of chokeberry ( Aronia mitschurinii ) products modestly lowered blood pressure and reduced low-grade inflammation in patients with mildly elevated blood pressure. Nutrition Research, 36(11), 1222–1230. doi: 10.1016/j.nutres.2016.09.005

11. Braunlich, M., Okstad, O. A., Slimestad, R., Wangensteen, H., Malterud, K. E., & Barsett, H. (n.d.). Effects of Aronia melanocarpa constituents on biofilm formation of Escherichia coli and Bacillus cereus. Molecules, 18(12), 14989–14999. doi: 10.3390/molecules181214989

12. Valcheva-Kuzmanova, S. V., & Belcheva, A. (n.d.). Current knowledge of Aronia melanocarpa as a medicinal plant. Folia Med (Plovdiv), 48(2).

““IT IS HEALTH THAT IS REAL WEALTH AND NOT PIECES OF GOLD AND SILVER.” – MAHATMA GANDHI”

Spend 10 minutes with Dr. Lee to learn more about her, the lab, and our start with aronia. Connections with other passionate and kind scientists were the driver for this project and we are beyond excited about the preliminary data in this project. Consider adding aronia to your diet to help improve the way that your diet can support health and performance with small decisions on what to put into our bodies every day.