ANTIOXIDANT AND ANTI-INFLAMMATORY
Anti-inflammatory and Antioxidant Effects of Flavonoid-Rich Fraction of Bergamot Juice (BJe) in a Mouse Model of Intestinal Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury
Frontiers in Pharmacology July 2016. Daniela Impellizzeri, Marika Cordaro, Michela Campolo, Enrico Gugliandolo, Emanuela Esposito, Filippo Benedetto, Salvatore Cuzzocrea, and Michele Navarra
The flavonoid-rich fraction of bergamot juice (BJe) has demonstrated anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities. The aim of work was to test the beneficial effects of BJe on the modulation of the ileum inflammation caused by intestinal ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury in mice. To understand the cellular mechanisms by which BJe may decrease the development of intestinal I/R injury, we have evaluated the activation of signaling transduction pathways that can be induced by reactive oxygen species production. Superior mesenteric artery and celiac trunk were occluded for 30 min and reperfused for 1 h. The animals were sacrificed after 1 h of reperfusion, for both histological and molecular examinations of the ileum tissue. The experimental results demonstrated that BJe was able to reduce histological damage, cytokines production, adhesion molecules expression, neutrophil infiltration and oxidative stress by a mechanism involved both NF-κB and MAP kinases pathways. This study indicates that BJe could represent a new treatment against inflammatory events of intestinal I/R injury.
Anti-oxidant effect of bergamot polyphenolic fraction counteracts doxorubicin-induced cardiomyopathy: Role of autophagy and ckitpos CD45neg CD31neg cardiac stem cell activation
Journal of Molecular & Cellular Cardiology, VOLUME 119, P10-18, JUNE 01, 2018. Cristina Carresi, Vincenzo Musolino, Micaela Gliozzi, Jessica Maiuolo, Rocco Mollace, Saverio Nucera, Alessia Maretta, Domenico Sergi, Saverio Muscoli, Santo Gratteri, Ernesto Palma, Francesca Bosco, Caterina Giancotta, Carolina Muscoli, Fabiola Marino, Iolanda Aquila, Daniele Torella, Franco Romeo, Vincenzo Mollace
Doxorubicin (DOXO) is one of the most widely used antineoplastic drugs. Despite its highly beneficial effects against several malignancies, the clinical use of DOXO is often associated to cardiomyopathy that leads to congestive heart failure.
Here we investigated the antioxidant and cardioprotective effects of a polyphenol-rich fraction of citrus bergamot (BPF), in DOXO-induced cardiac damage in rats. Moreover, we evaluated the effect of BPF on cardiomyocyte survival and resident endogenous cardiac stem/progenitor cell (eCSC) activation.
Adult male Wistar rats were i.p. injected with saline (serving as controls, CTRL, n = 10), BPF (20 mg/kg daily for 14 consecutive days, n = 10), DOXO (6 doses of 2,5 mg/Kg from day 1 to day 14, n = 10), and DOXO + BPF (n = 10). Animals were then sacrificed 7 days later (i.e., at 21 days).
DOXO administration reduced cardiac function at 21 days, an adverse effect significantly attenuated in animals receiving DOXO + BPF. No changes were detected in rats receiving just saline or BPF alone.
The cardioprotective effect of BPF on DOXO acute toxicity was also associated with a significant antioxidant effect coupled with protective autophagy restoration, and attenuation of cardiomyocyte apoptosis and reactive hypertrophy. Finally, treatment of rats with BPF prevented eCSCs attrition by DOXO which was followed by a limited but significant increase of newly-formed BrdU+ cardiomyocytes.
In conclusion, BPF reduces DOXO-induced cardiotoxicity by counteracting reactive oxygen species (ROS) overproduction, thereby restoring protective autophagy and attenuating cardiomyocyte apoptosis and pathologic remodeling. This beneficial effects on the early toxicity of DOXO is associated with enhanced CSCs survival and regenerative potential. Overall these data point to a potential clinical role by diet supplementation with polyphenol-rich fraction of citrus bergamot in counteracting antracycline-induced cardiomyopathy.
Efficacy of bergamot: From anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative mechanisms to clinical applications as preventive agent for cardiovascular morbidity, skin diseases, and mood alterations
Food & Science Nutrition 2019 Feb; 7(2): 369–384. Simone Perna Daniele Spadaccini Leonardo Botteri Carolina Girometta, Antonella Riva Pietro Allegrini Giovanna Petrangolini Vittoria Infantino, Mariangela Rondanelli
We summarize the effects of bergamot (extract, juice, essential oil, and polyphenolic fraction) on cardiovascular, bone, inflammatory, skin diseases, mood alteration, anxiety, pain, and stress. This review included a total of 31 studies (20 studies on humans with 1709 subjects and 11 in animals (rats and mice)). In humans, bergamot‐derived extract (BE) exerts positive effects on hyperlipidemia with an oral dose from 150 mg to 1000 mg/day of flavonoids administered from 30 to 180 days, demonstrating an effect on body weight and in modulating total cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL, and HDL. Studies in animals confirm promising data on glucose control (500/1000 mg/day of BE with a treatment lasting 30 days) are available in rats. In animals models, bergamot essential oil (BEO, 10 mg/kg or 20 mg/kg daily for 20 weeks) increases bone volume, decreases psoriatic plaques, increases skin collagen content, and promotes hair growth. Bergamot juice (20 mg/kg) is promising in terms of pro‐inflammatory cytokine reduction. In humans, aromatherapy (from 15 to 30 min) does not appear to be useful in order to reduce stress, anxiety, and nausea, compared to placebo. Compared to baseline, BE topical application and BEO aromatherapy reduce blood diastolic and systolic pressure and could have a significant effect on improving mental conditions.
Antioxidant and Antisenescence Effects of Bergamot Juice
Oxidative Medicine & Cellular Longevity 2018; 2018: 9395804.
Eleonora Da Pozzo, Marinella De Leo, Immacolata Faraone, Luigi Milella, Chiara Cavallini, Eugenia Piragine, Lara Testai, Vincenzo Calderone, Luisa Pistelli, Alessandra Braca, and Claudia Martini
Aging is one of the main risk factor for the onset of cardiovascular diseases; one of the possible explanations could be linked to the age-associated overproduction of free radicals. This increase of oxidative stress can be overcome with a high intake of food antioxidants. In this context, a number of studies have been addressed to assess the antiaging potential of natural antioxidant compounds. Recently, it has been shown that the juice of bergamot (Citrus bergamia Risso et Poiteau), a fruit mostly produced in the Ionian coastal areas of Southern Italy (Calabria), is a valuable source of health-promoting constituents with, among other, antioxidant properties. In order to investigate the potential antiaging effects of this Mediterranean natural antioxidant source, bergamot juices of three different cultivars (“fantastico,” “femminello,” and “castagnaro”) were herein characterized by the mean of high-performance liquid chromatography-photodiode array-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry. Then, juices were investigated for the evaluation of total polyphenolic and flavonoid contents, cell-free model antioxidant activities, and in vitro antiaging properties on two different cellular models of induced myocardial senescence. The best performing juice was also assessed in vivo. The phytochemical profiles confirmed that juices were rich in flavonoids, both flavone and flavanone glycosides. In addition, two limonoid glycosides were also identified in all cultivars. Each cultivar showed different phenolic and flavonoid contents. In tube results showed the juice robust antioxidant activities that correlate with their phenolic and flavonoid contents. Moreover, for the first time, the ability of juice to counteract the chemical-induced senescence was here demonstrated in both cellular models. Lastly, the in vivo data obtained from mouse hearts evidenced an increase in transcription of genes involved in antiaging and antioxidant responses. The overall results suggest that bergamot juice exerts antioxidant and antisenescence effects, making it useful for nutraceutical purposes.
Anti-inflammatory and Antioxidant Effects of Flavonoid-Rich Fraction of Bergamot Juice (BJe) in a Mouse Model of Intestinal Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury
Daniela Impellizzeri, Marika Cordaro, Michela Campolo, Enrico Gugliandolo, Emanuela Esposito, Filippo Benedetto, Salvatore Cuzzocrea and Michele Navarra
The flavonoid-rich fraction of bergamot juice (BJe) has demonstrated anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities. The aim of work was to test the beneficial effects of BJe on the modulation of the ileum inflammation caused by intestinal ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury in mice. To understand the cellular mechanisms by which BJe may decrease the development of intestinal I/R injury, we have evaluated the activation of signaling transduction pathways that can be induced by reactive oxygen species production. Superior mesenteric artery and celiac trunk were occluded for 30 min and reperfused for 1 h. The animals were sacrificed after 1 h of reperfusion, for both histological and molecular examinations of the ileum tissue. The experimental results demonstrated that BJe was able to reduce histological damage, cytokines production, adhesion molecules expression, neutrophil infiltration and oxidative stress by a mechanism involved both NF-κB and MAP kinases pathways. This study indicates that BJe could represent a new treatment against inflammatory events of intestinal I/R injury.
Qualitative and quantitative analysis of the Proautophagic activity of Citrus flavonoids from Bergamot Polyphenol Fraction
Data in Brief, Volume 19, August 2018, Pages 1327-1334
Elzbieta Janda, Raffaele Salerno, Concetta Martino, Antonella Lascala, Daniele LaRussa, Manuela Oliverio
Bergamot Polyphenol Fraction (BPF®) is a natural mixture of Citrus flavonoids extracted from processed bergamot fruits. It has been shown to counteract cardiovascular risk factors and to prevent liver steatosis in rats and patients. Hepatic effects of BPF correlate with its ability to stimulate liver autophagy. Six aglyconic flavonoids have been identified in the proautophagic fraction of the hydrolysis product of BPF (A-BPF): naringenin, hesperetin, eridictyol, diosmetin, apigenin and luteolin. We report here the output parameters of high resolution mass spectrometry analysis of these flavonoids and chemical structures of their parent compounds. The second set of data shows the proautophagic activity of BPF flavonoids in a hepatic cell line HepG2 analyzed by a flow cytometry approach. The method is based on the red to green fluorescence intensity ratio analysis of DsRed -LC3- GFP, which is stably expressed in HepG2 cells. Proportional analysis of ATG indexes allowed us to address a relative contribution of individual compounds to the proautophagic activity of the A-BPF mixture and evaluate if the effect was additive. Qualitative analysis of ATG indexes compared the effects of flavonoids at equal concentrations in the presence and absence of palmitic acid and chloroquine. The Excel files reporting the analysis of flow cytometry data are available in the public repository.