Blueberry/Bilberry Juice and Blueberry Fruit Supplementation Protects DNA
Yim Tong Szeto *
Diagnostix Medical Centre, Room 601, 6/F, China Insurance Group Building, 141 Des Voeux Road Central, Hong Kong.
Peony Yuen Yee Lung
Department of Pathology, Kwong Wah Hospital, 25 Waterloo Road, Kowloon, Hong Kong.
Daniel Man Kit Ng
Department of Pathology, Tseung Kwan O Hospital, Hong Kong.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Aims: The study was to investigate the protective effect of blueberry/bilberry juice and blueberry fruit on leucocyte DNA against exogenous oxidative stress.
Methodology: The study was divided to two parts which included the in vitro antioxidant effect of blueberry/bilberry juice on lymphocytes and the effect on human leucocytes after supplementation. For in vitro study, lymphocytes from 4 subjects were pre-incubated with diluted blueberry/bilberry juice. Cells were then treated with 50 μM H2O2. Comet assay was performed. For in vivo study, lymphocytes of 9 subjects from venous blood were collected before and after taking 200 mL blueberry/bilberry juice and control drinks. Lymphocytes were then stressed with 50 μM H2O2 and followed by comet assay. In another experiment, 9 subjects took 40 g blueberry and blood samples before and after 2 hours were irradiated with UV light and DNA damage was measured.
Results: Results showed that blueberry/bilberry juice lowered DNA damage in in vitro study. Supplementation of a single dose of blueberry/bilberry juice was able to decrease DNA damage by 19% while 40g blueberry fruit lowered DNA damage by 28% within 2 hours.
Conclusion: Blueberry/bilberry juice or blueberry fruit were able to lower cellular DNA damage in white blood cell within 2 hours.
Keywords: Antioxidant, comet assay, DNA damage, bilberry, blueberry, juice