Anthocyanin-rich phenolic extracts of black chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa) attenuate inflammation induced by lipopolysaccharide in raw 264.7 cells

Abstract

Aronia melanocarpa berries and their extracts, have become well known for their notable health benefits. The present study investigated the anti-inflammatory effect of anthocyanin-rich phenolic extracts of Ame (Aronia melanocarpa) in LPS (lipopolysaccharide)-stimulated RAW 264.7 murine macrophage cells. The results showed that Ame pre-treatment significantly ameliorated oxidative stress and inflammatory biomarker activities, as evidenced by reductions in the production of ROS (reactive oxygen specie), MDA (malondialdehyde), and NO (nitric oxide), as well as suppression of iNOS (inducible nitric oxide synthase), COX-2 (cyclooxygenase) and PGE2 (prostaglandin E2) mRNA levels; remarkably elevated the level of anti-inflammatory cytokine IL (interleukin)-10; and reduced the levels of the pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1p, IL-6, and TNF-a (tumour necrosis factor). Additionally, we observed an attenuation of the cell apoptosis levels and the mRNA expression of apoptosis factors such as caspase-3 and caspase-9. In summary, the results highlight the health benefit of Ame against inflammation in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells.