Anti-inflammatory effect of purified dietary anthocyanin in adults with hypercholesterolemia: A randomized controlled trial

• Published in: Nutrition, metabolism, and cardiovascular diseases Vol. 23; no. 9; pp. 843 - 849
• Main Authors: Zhu, Y., Ling, W., Guo, H., Song, F., Ye, Q., Zou, T., Li, D., Zhang, Y., Li, G., Xiao, Y., Liu, F., Li, Z., Shi, Z., Yang, Y.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 01.09.2013
• Subjects: administration & dosage; adults; Anthocyanin; anthocyanins; Anthocyanins - administration & dosage; anti-inflammatory activity; Anti-Inflammatory Agents; Anti-Inflammatory Agents - administration & dosage; Atherosclerosis; blood; blood serum; C-reactive protein; C-Reactive Protein - metabolism; Cardiovascular; cell adhesion; cell culture; Cholesterol, HDL; Cholesterol, HDL - blood; Cholesterol, LDL; Cholesterol, LDL - blood; Double-Blind Method; drug therapy; endothelial cells; Female; Hep G2 Cells; high density lipoprotein cholesterol; human cell lines; Humans; Hypercholesterolemia; Hypercholesterolemia - blood; Hypercholesterolemia - drug therapy; iliac artery; in vitro studies; inflammation; Interleukin-1 beta; interleukin-1beta; Interleukin-1beta - blood; interleukin-6; Interleukin-6 - blood; low density lipoprotein cholesterol; Male; metabolism; Middle Aged; randomized clinical trials; Randomized controlled trial; secretion; swine; synergism; Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1; Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 - blood; Anthocyanin; C-reactive protein; Hypercholesterolemia; Randomized controlled trial; Interleukin-1 beta; Vascular cell adhesion molecule-1
• ISSN: 0939-4753; 1590-3729; 1590-3729
• DOI: 10.1016/j.numecd.2012.06.005

Atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory disease and previous studies have demonstrated that anthocyanin inhibits atherosclerosis. In the present study, we explored the effects of anthocyanins on inflammatory cytokines in hypercholesterolemic adults and cell lines. A total of 150 subjects with hypercholesterolemia consumed a purified anthocyanin mixture (320 mg/d) or a placebo twice a day for 24 weeks in a randomized, double-blind trial. Anthocyanin consumption significantly decreased the levels of serum high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) (−21.6% vs. −2.5%, P = 0.001), soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (sVCAM-1) (−12.3% vs. 0.4%, P = 0.005) and plasma IL-1β (−12.8% vs. −1.3%, P = 0.019) compared to the placebo. We also found a significant difference in the LDL-cholesterol (−10.4% vs. 0.3%, P = 0.030) and HDL-cholesterol level changes (14.0% vs. −0.9%, P = 0.036) between the two groups. In cell culture assays in vitro, purified anthocyanin mixture, delphinidin-3-Ο-β-glucoside (Dp-3g) and cyanidin-3-Ο-β-glucoside (Cy-3g) inhibited IL-6 and IL-1β-induced CRP production (P < 0.05) in HepG2 cell line and LPS-induced VCAM-1 secretion (P < 0.05) in porcine iliac artery endothelial cell line respectively in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, the reduction of inflammatory cytokines associated with anthocyanin mixture was stronger when compared with the effects of Dp-3g and Cy-3g separately (P < 0.05). Anthocyanin mixture reduced the inflammatory response in hypercholesterolemic subjects. In addition, different anthocyanin compounds were found to have additive or synergistic effects in mediating anti-inflammatory responses in vitro cell culture assays.