On missions to other planets, astronauts will be exposed to galactic cosmic rays which are composed of heavy particles (such as 56Fe) and protons. Exposure to these particles can affect the ability of rats to perform a variety of tasks, indicating that there is the possibility that the performance capabilities of astronauts may be affected. Previous research has shown that diets containing blue...

Forced infestation studieswere conducted to determinewhether northern or southern highbush blueberries, Vaccinium corymbosum L., are hosts for the invasive tephritid fruit ßies in Hawaii. Fruit were exposed to gravid female ßies of Bactrocera dorsalis Hendel (oriental fruit ßy), Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann) (Mediterranean fruit ßy), or Bactrocera cucurbitae Coquillet (melon ßy) in screen cage...

BACKGROUND The highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum) has a beneficial effect on several aspects of human health. The present study investigated the effects of highbush blueberry proanthocyanidins (PACs) on the virulence properties of Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans and macrophage-associated inflammatory responses. METHODS PACs were isolated from frozen highbush blueberries using sol...

Among all fruits, berries have shown substantial cardio-protective benefits due to their high polyphenol content. However, investigation of their efficacy in improving features of metabolic syndrome and related cardiovascular risk factors in obesity is limited. We examined the effects of blueberry supplementation on features of metabolic syndrome, lipid peroxidation, and inflammation in obese m...

AIM To investigate the effect of blueberry juice intake on rat liver fibrosis and its influence on hepatic antioxidant defense. METHODS Rabbiteye blueberry was used to prepare fresh juice to feed rats by daily gastric gavage. Dan-shao-hua-xian capsule (DSHX) was used as a positive control for liver fibrosis protection. Liver fibrosis was induced in male Sprague-Dawley rats by subcutaneous inj...

BACKGROUND Neonatal blueberry muffin lesions are rare cutaneous eruptions, presenting as transient, non-blanching, red-violaceous papules, mostly localized in the trunk, head and neck, attributable to a marked dermal hematopoietic activity. Congenital infections of the TORCH complex (toxoplasmosis, other, rubella, cytomegalovirus and herpes) and hematological disorders have been classically ass...

SCOPE Berries are an excellent source of dietary flavonoids which have several health benefits. METHODS AND RESULTS We evaluated well-characterized anthocyanins (ANCs) and proanthocyanidins (PACs) from fermented blueberry-blackberry beverages. Wines were produced from highbush blueberries and blackberries grown in Illinois and blended to create ratios ranging from 100% blueberry to 100% black...

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the protective effects of blueberry extract on oxidative stress and inflammatory parameters in a model of mania induced by ketamine administration in rats. Male rats were pretreated with blueberry extract (200mg/kg, once a day for 14days), lithium chloride (45mg/kg, mood stabilizer used as a positive control, twice a day for 14days), or vehicle. Betw...

SCOPE The aim of this work is to identify which proapoptotic pathway is induced in human colon cancer cell lines, in contact with proanthocyanidins extracted from various berries. METHODS AND RESULTS Proanthocyanidins (Pcys) extracted from 11 berry species are monitored for proapoptotic activities on two related human colon cancer cell lines: SW480-TRAIL-sensitive and SW620-TRAIL-resistant. A...

This study examined the antimicrobial effect of blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum L.) extracts obtained from four cultivars (Elliott, Darrow, Bluecrop, and Duke) on the growth of Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella Enteritidis. The minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimal bactericidal concentration (MBC) of the extracts against L. monocytogenes and S. Enteritidis in tryptic soy broth ...