Characterization and fate of black currant and bilberry flavonols in enzyme-aided processing.

The fate of black currant ( Ribes nigrum L.) and bilberry ( Vaccinium myrtillus L.) flavonols in enzyme-aided processing was studied.

Dietary intake and major food sources of polyphenols in Finnish adults.

Phenolic acids, flavonoids, proanthocyanidins, and ellagitannins are polyphenols that may have beneficial effects on human health and provide protection against chronic diseases. To date, limited data exist on quantitative intake of polyphenols. The aims of this study were to estimate the quantitative intakes of polyphenols by using analyzed concentrations together with individual food consumption records and to determine major dietary sources.

Contents of anthocyanins and ellagitannins in selected foods consumed in Finland.

Numerous in vitro and in vivo studies have suggested that dietary anthocyanins and ellagitannins or ellagic acid might have beneficial health effects. Epidemiological evidence on the disease-preventing potential of these polyphenols is lacking, due to the absence of reliable data on their contents in foods. In this study was analyzed the content of anthocyanins and ellagitannins (as ellagic acid equivalents after acid hydrolysis) in foods consumed in Finland, including berries, fruits, vegetables, and processed products, using high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) methods.

Berry phenolic extracts modulate the expression of p21(WAF1) and Bax but not Bcl-2 in HT-29 colon cancer cells.

Previous studies have shown that anthocyanin-rich berry extracts inhibit the growth of cancer cells in vitro. The objective of this study was to compare the effects of berry extracts containing different phenolic profiles on cell viability and expression of markers of cell proliferation and apoptosis in human colon cancer HT-29 cells. Berry extracts were prepared with methanol extraction, and contents of the main phenolic compounds were analyzed using HPLC.