ARS | Publication request: ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY IN LINGONBERRIES (VACCINIUM VITIS-IDAEA L) INHIBITS ACTIVATOR PROTEIN 1, NUCLEAR FACTOR-KAPPAB, AND MITOGEN-ACTIVATED PROTEIN KINASES.

Submitted to: Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: January 17, 2005
Publication Date: January 17, 2005
Citation: Wang, S.Y., Feng, R., Bowman, L., Penhallegon, R., Ding, M. 2005.Antioxidant activity in lingonberries (vaccinium vitis-idaea l) inhibits activator protein 1, nuclear factor-kappab, and mitogen-activated protein kinases.. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. 53:3156-3166.

Interpretive Summary: Lingonberry is considered a minor crop in the United States and has thus far received little attention for research. There is growing interest in this crop because there is indication that some lingonberry cultivars may contain high levels of antioxidants. We have investigated fruit quality and antioxidant content of several cultivars. We have also looked into the effect of lingonberry extracts on cancer development in cells. We found that fruit quality and antioxidant content vary among different cultivars. We also found that some lingonberry extracts exhibited anti-cancer activity. These results indicate that consuming lingonberry fruit may be beneficial to human health. Information obtained from this research is valuable for other scientists and consumers interested in antioxidant compounds in fruit and improving human health.

Technical Abstract: Lingonberry has been shown to contain high antioxidant activity. Fruit from different cultivars of lingonberry (Vaccinium vitis-idaea L) were evaluated for fruit quality, antioxidant activity, anthocyanin and phenolic content. The fruit soluble solids, titratable acids, antioxidant capacity, anthocyanin and phenolic content varied with cultivars. Lingonberries contain potent free radical scavenging activities for stable DPPH', ROO', OH' and O2 '- radicals. Pretreatment of JB6 cells with lingonberry extracts produced a dose-dependent inhibition on activator protein-1 (AP-1) and Nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-'B) and cell transformation induced by either 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) or ultraviolet-B (UVB). Lingonberry extract blocked UVB-induced phosphorylation of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) family members ERK1, ERK2, and p38 but not JNK. Lingonberry extract also prevented TPA-induced phosphorylation of ERK1 and ERK2. Results of soft agar assays indicated that lingonberry extract suppressed TPA-induced neoplastic transformation of JB6 P+ cells in a dose-dependent manner. These results suggest that ERK1 and ERK2 may be the primary targets of lingonberry that result in suppression of AP-1 and neoplastic transformation in JB6 cells.