Kiwifruit with high anthocyanin content modulates NF-κB activation and reduces CCL11 secretion in human alveolar epithelial cells

• Main Authors: Yongyan Peng, Sarah B. Cordiner, Gregory M. Sawyer, Tony K. McGhie, Richard V. Espley, Andrew C. Allan, Roger D. Hurst
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier 2020-02-01
• Series: Journal of Functional Foods
• Subjects: Kiwifruit; Anthocyanins; Inflammation; NF-κB; CCL11
• Online Access: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1756464619306589

Asthma is an allergic lung inflammation characterised by the influx of eosinophils at the infected site recruited by the chemokine, CCL11. During inflammation, the transcription factor Nuclear Factor kappa B (NF-κB) initiates a series of pro-inflammatory responses. Natural compounds that could modulate CCL11 levels and/or NF-κB activation have potential for managing lung inflammation. In this study, four varieties of kiwifruit were evaluated for their modulatory effect on inflammation signals. The anthocyanin-enriched polyphenol extracts from purple kiwifruit inhibited CCL11 secretion from human alveolar epithelial cells whereas the anthocyanin-lacking polyphenol extracts from yellow kiwifruit displayed no inhibition on CCL11 secretion. Kiwifruit polyphenol extracts also inhibited NF-κB activation in reporter cells. Correlation analysis showed anthocyanins in the kiwifruit polyphenolic extracts were most correlated to the modulation of CCL11 and NF-κB which are the inflammatory signals involved in lung allergic inflammation. The findings highlight the enhanced functional food benefits of novel kiwifruit cultivars.