The Beneficial Impact of the Black Chokeberry Extract against the Oxidative Stress in the Sublingual Salivary Gland of Rats Intoxicated with Cadmium

Cadmium (Cd) is one of the most harmful xenobiotics to which humans are exposed, mainly by the oral route, throughout life. Preventive strategies are searched as low intoxication with this element, among others due to its prooxidative properties, can be deleterious to health and the exposure to it is continuously increasing. Recently, interest has been paid to plant raw materials with a high antioxidative potential to oppose the prooxidative properties of cadmium, such as black chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa L. fruit), which is rich in polyphenolic compounds. The study was aimed at assessing whether the chokeberry extract may counteract the prooxidative impact of low-level and moderate repeated intoxication with cadmium on the sublingual salivary gland. The investigation was performed on 96 Wistar rats (females), which were treated with a 0.1% aqueous extract from chokeberries or/and a diet containing 1 or 5 mg Cd/kg for 3 and 10 months, and control animals. The intoxication with cadmium, in a dose- and time-dependent manner, attenuated the enzymatic and nonenzymatic antioxidative potential and increased the concentration of hydrogen peroxide and total oxidative status of the sublingual salivary gland resulting in an occurrence of oxidative stress, enhancement of lipid peroxidation, and oxidative injuries of proteins in this salivary gland. The treatment with the black chokeberry extract during the intoxication with cadmium prevented this xenobiotic-caused oxidative/reductive imbalance and oxidative modifications of proteins and lipids in the salivary gland. The above results allow the conclusion that the consumption of black chokeberry products during intoxication with cadmium can prevent oxidative stress and its consequences in the sublingual salivary gland and thus counteract the unfavourable impact of this xenobiotic on the oral cavity.

Upcycling and Recycling Potential of Selected Lignocellulosic Waste Biomass

This research aimed to confirm the ability to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by novel composite production using plantation waste on the example of lignocellulosic particles of black chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa (Michx.) Elliott) and raspberry (Rubus idaeus L.). Furthermore, to characterize the particles produced by re-milled particleboards made of the above-mentioned alternative raw materials in the light of further recycling. As part of the research, particleboards from wooden black chokeberry and raspberry were produced in laboratory conditions, and select mechanical and physical properties were examined. In addition, the characterization of raw materials (particles) on the different processing stages was determined, and the fraction share and shape of particles after re-milling of the produced panels was provided. The tests confirmed the possibility of producing particleboards from the raw materials used; however, in the case of boards with raspberry lignocellulose particles, their share cannot exceed 50% so as to comply with the European standards regarding bending strength criterion. In addition, the further utilization of chips made of re-milled panels can be limited due to the significantly different shape and fraction share of achieved particles.

Structural identification and in vitro antioxidant activities of anthocyanins in black chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa Elliot)

Anthocyanins is a natural edible pigment with many health benefits. The aim of this work was the identification of anthocyanins present in <i>Aronia melanocarpa</i> using mass spectrometric features. The anthocyanins of the <i>A. melanocarpa</i> were analyzed by UV-Vis, HPLC-DAD and LC-EIS/MS methods. The four important anthocyanins were identified as follows: cyanidin-3-galactoside (68.68%), cyanidin-3-arabinoside (25.62%), cyanidin-3-glucoside (5.28%) and cyanidin-3-xyloside (0.42%). Among the four anthocyanin monomers, three anthocyanins with the highest content of <i>A. melanocarpa</i> were selected, and the antioxidant activity was studied with the total anthocyanins. The antioxidant capacity was cyanidin-3-galactoside > total anthocyanin > cyanidin-3-arabinoside > cyanidin-3-glucoside. The activity of the four anthocyanin samples was greater than ascorbic acid. The methodology described in this study will provide an effective tool for anthocyanins identification. Our results suggested that anthocyanins from <i>A. melanocarpa</i> exhibited effective antioxidant activity. These findings may be crucial in future research concerning chokeberry based functional food products.

Aronia Upregulates Myogenic Differentiation and Augments Muscle Mass and Function Through Muscle Metabolism

Black chokeberry or aronia (the fruit of Aronia melanocarpa) has been reported to having pharmacological activities against metabolic syndrome, such as hypertension, obesity, diabetes, and pro-inflammatory conditions. However, the effects of aronia on myogenic differentiation and muscle homoeostasis are uncharacterized. In this study, we investigated the effects of aronia (black chokeberry) on myogenic differentiation and muscle metabolic functions in young mice. Aronia extract (AR) promotes myogenic differentiation and elevates the formation of multinucleated myotubes through Akt activation. AR protects dexamethasone (DEX)-induced myotube atrophy through inhibition of muscle-specific ubiquitin ligases mediated by Akt activation. The treatment with AR increases muscle mass and strength in mice without cardiac hypertrophy. AR treatment enhances both oxidative and glycolytic myofibers and muscle metabolism with elevated mitochondrial genes and glucose metabolism-related genes. Furthermore, AR-fed muscle fibers display increased levels of total OxPHOS and myoglobin proteins. Taken together, AR enhances myogenic differentiation and improves muscle mass and function, suggesting that AR has a promising potential as a nutraceutical remedy to intervene in muscle weakness and atrophy.

Nothospecies ×Sorbaronia fallax (Rosaceae) in the flora of Ukraine

×Sorbaronia fallax is a complex of artificially bred intergeneric hybrids. It is one of the non-traditional fruit crops. Fruits of the nothospecies are used in as food and medicinal raw materials. ×Sorbaronia fallax is sporadically grown in orchards, forest crops, forest belts used in landscaping. In many contries, e.g. United Kingdom, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Belgium, Netherlands, Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Belarus, some regions of Russian Federation, and the United States (Connecticut), ×S. fallax belongs to invasive species. During our field trips in 2018 and 2020, we noted several cases of occurrence this nothospecies outside of culture. The aim was to generalize information about the spontaneous spread of ×S. fallax outside the cultivation sites and outline its secondary area in Ukraine. We discuss the problem of taxonomy and nomenclature of "chokeberry", which is common in Ukraine and is apomictic microspecies. In our opinion, it would be appropriate to use the name ×Sorbaronia mitschurinii for this nothotaxon, but this would contradict the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants. The central part of the publication is devoted to analyzing available sources on the cultivation and spontaneous distribution of ×S. fallax in Ukraine. This nothotaxon now spontaneously grows in Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk, Volyn, Rivne, Zhytomyr, Kyiv, and Sumy regions, as well as in the vicinity of Kyiv. It spreads spontaneously on forest frinnges, on glades, along forest roads, on pastures, meadows, swamps, and peatlands. ×Sorbaronia fallax is eukenophyte and ergasiophyte. Local spontaneous populations of ×S. fallax are primarily small, but some of them consist a few dozen to several hundred individuals. We assumed that there is reason to consider ×S. fallax as a potentially invasive nothospecies in the northern and western regions of Ukraine. In the appendices, we provide both lists of ×S. fallax location in culture and list its records outside culture. Keywords: black chokeberry, Aronia, Sorbus, invasive species, expansion. ×Sorbaronia fallax – комплекс штучно виведених міжродових гібридів. Це одна з нетрадиційних плодових культур. Її плоди використовуються в харчуванні та як лікарська сировина. ×Sorbaronia fallax спорадично вирощують у плодових садах, лісових культурах, лісосмугах, використовують в озелененні. У багатьох країнах – Великій Британії, Норвегії, Швеції, Фінляндії, Бельгії, Нідерландах, Чехії, Естонії, Латвії, Литві, Польщі, Білорусі, окремих суб’єктах Російської Федерації та в США (Коннектикут) ×S. fallax є інвазійною. Під час експедиційних досліджень у 2018 і 2020 роках нами відмічено кілька випадків зростання цього нотовиду поза культурою. Нашою метою було узагальнити відомості про спонтанне поширення ×S. fallax поза місцями культивування і окреслити її вторинний ареал в Україні. У статті обговорюємо проблему таксономії і номенклатури “чорноплідної горобини”, яка розповсюджена в Україні і є апоміктичним мікровидом. На нашу думку, для цього нототаксону доцільно було б використовувати назву ×Sorbaronia mitschurinii, проте це б суперечило International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants. Основна частина публікації присвячена аналізу наявних джерел про вирощування і спонтанне поширення ×S. fallax в Україні. Поза культурою цей нототаксон нині росте у Львівській, Івано-Франківській, Волинській, Рівненській, Житомирській, Київській та Сумській областях, а також в околицях Києва. Він спонтанно поширюється на узліссях, вирубках, вздовж лісових доріг, на пасовищах, болотистих і заплавних луках, болотах та торфовищах. ×Sorbaronia fallax є еукенофітом, ергазіофітом. Локальні спонтанні популяції ×S. fallax переважно малочисельні, але деякі з них нараховують від кількох десятків до кількох сотень особин. Показуємо, що є підстави розглядати ×S. fallax як потенційно інвазійний нотовид у північних і західних областях України. У додатках наведено перелік відомостей про поширення ×S. fallax у культурі та поза нею. Ключові слова: чорноплідна горобина, Aronia, Sorbus, інвазійний вид, експансія

Multivariate analysis of polyphenolic content and in vitro antioxidant capacity of wild and cultivated berries from Bosnia and Herzegovina

The aim of this study was to determine the antioxidant activity, total phenolics, total flavonoid, proanthocyanidins, and anthocyanins content of eight berry species, namely serviceberry, gooseberry, blackberry, black chokeberry, bilberry, red currant, black currant, and cornelian cherry harvested in the regions of Sarajevo and Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina. The antioxidant activity was determined by a battery of in vitro tests including DPPH radical assay, FRAP assay, ABTS assay, and phosphomolybdate test for total antioxidant capacity. Total phenolics, total flavonoids, and proanthocyanidins ranged from 0.834 to 6.921 mg TAE (tannic acid equivalents), 0.081–0.673 mg of quercetin, and 0.162–3.247 mg of catechin per gram of fresh fruit, respectively. The water extract of fruits had considerable levels of tested constituents and antioxidant activity, with the highest results obtained for black chokeberry. The multivariate clustering analysis showed that water extracts of analyzed species of berries belong to four distinct types in terms of their antioxidants levels and antioxidant activity. Furthermore, these results support the opinion that employment of multiple antioxidant tests is indeed required for adequate in vitro assessment of antioxidant capacity. Results also emphasized the need for a more detailed evaluation of the fruit species with good antioxidant potential (relative to standards), such as cornelian cherry and gooseberry, which are abundant yet not frequently consumed in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Protective Effects of Fruit Wines against Hydrogen Peroxide—Induced Oxidative Stress in Rat Synaptosomes

This study aimed to evaluate, in vitro, the antioxidative potential of fruit wines produced from berry fruits (i.e., black chokeberry, blueberry, blackberry, and raspberry), cherry, and apple by different technological processes. For this purpose, the activities of antioxidant enzymes (catalase, glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and superoxide dismutase (SOD)) and malondialdehyde (MDA) content as a marker of membrane damage were determined in wine-treated synaptosomes with hydrogen peroxide-induced oxidative stress. All studied wines induced increased antioxidant enzyme activities and decreased MDA levels compared to hydrogen peroxide-treated synaptosomes (i.e., control). The highest SOD activity was observed in synaptosomes treated with blackberry wine (6.81 U/mg), whereas blueberry wine induced the highest catalase and glutathione peroxidase activities (0.058 U/mg and 0.017 U/mg, respectively). Black chokeberry proved to be the best in lipid peroxidation protection with the lowest MDA value (1.42 nmol/mg). Finally, principal component analysis and hierarchical cluster analysis additionally highlighted a higher antioxidant capacity of wines produced from dark-skinned fruits (i.e., blackberry, black chokeberry, and blueberry). The results suggest protective effects of the fruit wines against oxidative damage, and, accordingly, their promising application as functional food.

The Efficacy of Black Chokeberry Fruits against Cardiovascular Diseases

Epidemiological studies have emphasized the association between a diet rich in fruits and vegetables and a lower frequency of occurrence of inflammatory-related disorders. Black chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa L.) is a valuable source of biologically active compounds that have been widely investigated for their role in health promotion and cardiovascular disease prevention. Many in vitro and in vivo studies have demonstrated that consumption of these fruits is associated with significant improvements in hypertension, LDL oxidation, lipid peroxidation, total plasma antioxidant capacity and dyslipidemia. The mechanisms for these beneficial effects include upregulation of endothelial nitric oxide synthase, decreased oxidative stress, and inhibition of inflammatory gene expression. Collected findings support the recommendation of such berries as an essential fruit group in a heart-healthy diet. The aim of this review was to summarize the reports on the impact of black chokeberry fruits and extracts against several cardiovascular diseases, e.g., hyperlipidemia, hypercholesterolemia, hypertension, as well as to provide an analysis of the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effect of these fruits in the abovementioned disorders.