POLYPHENOL CONTENT AND EVALUATION OF ANTICHEMOTACTIC, ANTIEDEMATOGENIC AND ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITIES OF RUBUS SP. CULTIVARS

The purpose of this study was to compare the composition, antioxidant, antichemotactic and antiedematogenic properties of total extracts and anthocyanin-containing Rubus sp. extracts from selected cultivars. Rubus cultivars containing similar profile of anthocyanins, but greater levels of polyphenolics compounds increased antioxidant activity, and significantly enhanced antichemotactic and antiedematogenic properties. Cyanidin-3-glucoside isolated caused little or no anti-inflammatory effects in vitro/in vivo at same concentrations. These data suggest that polyphenols in Rubus extract act synergistically or additively in producing anti-inflammatory/antioxidant effects. These finding also provide essential information for the development of fruit-derived Rubus sp. as potential botanical drug products. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS Polyphenolic compounds are abundant in Rubus fruits, especially anthocyanins, and they are attracting more attention for their biological properties and health benefits. Investigation on the composition and beneficial actions of Rubus polyphenols is necessary to establish a database for the potential use in health foods and botanical drug. In this study, three assays were employed to achieve a comprehensive evaluation on the antioxidant, antichemotactic and antiedematogenic capacity of the nine Rubus sp. cultivars. The anti-inflammatory/antioxidant property of the Rubus sp. cultivars made them desirable for dietary prevention of chronic diseases.