JOURNAL OF MEDICINAL FOOD
J Med Food 10 (2) 2007, 258–265 ©
Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. and Korean
Society of Food Science and Nutrition
DOI: 10.1089/jmf.2006.238

Full Publication

                                                                             
Characterization  of Blackberry Extract and Its Antiproliferative and Anti Inflammatory Properties                                                

Jin Dai, Jigna D. Patel, and Russell J. Mumper


Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky


ABSTRACT Blackberries are rich in polyphenols, including anthocyanins. Polyphenols are hypothesized to have biological activities that may impact positively on human health. In these studies, an anthocyanin-rich extract from Hull blackberries grown in Kentucky was obtained and fully characterized in terms of total anthocyanin and phenolic content, polymeric color, anthocyanin composition, and total antioxidant capacity. In vitro cell culture studies showed that the blackberry extract inhibited HT-29 colon tumor cell growth in a concentration-dependent manner with 49.2 ug of total anthocyanins/mL inhibiting HT-29 cell growth up to 66% at 72 hours. Likewise, in a concentration-dependent manner, total anthocyanin concentrations in the range of 0–40 ug/mL suppressed both high-dose (10 ug/mL) and low-dose (0.1 ug/mL) lipid A-induced interleukin-12 release from mouse bone marrow-derived dendritic cells. These results suggest that Hull blackberry extract (HBE) has potent antioxidant, antiproliferative, and anti-inflammatory activities and that HBE-formulated products may have the potential for the treatment and/or prevention of cancer and/or other inflammatory diseases.