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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Boston, Massachusetts » Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center On Aging » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #406033

Research Project: Nutrition and Regenerative Medicine for Preventing Age-Related Neurological Disorders

Location: Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center On Aging

Title: Extracts from green leafy vegetables and berries, and their major polyphenolics, reduce inflammatory stress signals in HAPI rat microglial cells, in vitro

Author
item Fisher, Derek
item MARSCHALL, SHANNON - Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center On Aging At Tufts University
item ZHENG, TONG - Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center On Aging At Tufts University
item Shukitt-Hale, Barbara

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/8/2023
Publication Date: 11/13/2023
Citation: Fisher, D.R., Marschall, S.N., Zheng, T., Shukitt Hale, B. 2023. Extracts from green leafy vegetables and berries, and their major polyphenolics, reduce inflammatory stress signals in HAPI rat microglial cells, in vitro. [Abstract] Society for Neuroscience Meeting 2023. Program #PSTR203.17.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Diets supplemented with green leafy vegetables and berries have been shown to slow age-related cognitive decline. Kale and elderberry, for example, contain an array of bioactive phenolic compounds that may play a protective role due to their potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. Among these compounds, kaempferol is a flavonol found in green leafy vegetables and cyanidin-3-glucoside (C3G) is an anthocyanin found in elderberry. The purpose of this study was to determine if kale and elderberry, and their main flavonoid components, would be efficacious in reducing inflammatory stress signaling in microglial cells. Rat microglial (HAPI) cells were pretreated for 0.5-4 hours with kale or elderberry freeze-dried extracts (0-1.0mg/ml, Futureceuticals, Momence, IL), or the compounds kaempferol (0-100uM) or C3G (0-10uM) Sigma-Aldrich, St. Louis, MO). The cells were then stressed with 0 or 200ng/ml lipopolysaccharide (LPS) overnight and assessed for changes in nitric oxide production and iNOS expression. All compounds reduced LPS-induced nitric oxide production and iNOS expression in HAPI microglia in a concentration- and time-dependent manner (p<0.05). However, higher doses and longer treatment durations negatively affected cell viability. The effects of the compounds on LPS-induced TNF-alpha and COX-2 production are currently being assessed. Therefore, these data suggest that kale and elderberry, and the flavonoid compounds in them, may be effective in reducing inflammatory stress-mediated signals, and this attenuation of inflammation may be important in age-related health maintenance.