Commercial Extract from Aronia as a Modulator of Adhesive Properties of Fibrinogen Treated with Homocysteine and Its Thiolactone in Vitro

Research has confirmed the positive effect of berries of Aronia melanocarpa on the cardiovascular system. The protective effects of polyphenol-rich extract from berries of A. melanocarpa against changes in biological properties of fibrinogen were studied. In in vitro model of hyperhomocysteinemia the capability of fibrinogen to interact with human blood platelets was measured by platelet adhesion in the presence of extract from A. melanocarpa. We induced hyperhomocystenemia using a reduced form of homocysteine (Hcy, at a final concentration of 0.01, 0.1 and 1 mM) and the most reactive form of Hcy ñ its cyclic thioester, homocysteine thiolactone (HTL, at a final concentration of 0.1, 0.5 and 1 μM). It was observed that Hcy or HTL-treated fibrinogen, in comparison with untreated molecule, had a distinct capability to mediate blood platelet adhesion. The experiments also indicate that polyphenol-rich extract from black chokeberries (at final concentrations of 2.5ñ10 μM/mL) reduced the toxic action of Hcy and HTL on the adhesive properties of fibrinogen. The possible protection exerted by black chokeberry extract, through restoring the platelet adhesion of Hcy or HTL treated fibrinogen, may be important for vascular diseases.