USDA-ARS, Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University, Boston, MA, USA.
Department of Food Science and Nutrition, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, IL, USA.
Food Funct. 2021 Jan 7;12(1):107-118. doi: 10.1039/d0fo02125c. Epub 2020 Dec 17.
Blueberries (BB) contain an array of bioactive phenolic compounds that may play a protective role against various age-related diseases. Here we explored the metabolic fate of BB phenolics and their relationship to cognitive function after chronic (90 days) supplementation of freeze-dried BB (24 g d, equivalent to 1 cup of fresh BB) or control in a randomized, double-blind, parallel study with 38 healthy older adults (60-75 years). Blood samples were collected at fasting (t = 0 h) and 2 h after a breakfast meal on days 0 (no treatment), 45, and 90, and a battery of cognitive tests was also conducted on these days. Hippuric acid, phloroglucinaldehyde, syringic acid, ferulic acid-glucuronide, cyanidin-3-O-galactoside, cyanidin-3-O-glucoside, malvidin-3-O-galactoside, malvidin-3-O-glucoside, peonidin-3-O-xyloside, peonidin glucuronide, and petunidin-3-O-glucoside concentrations were significantly altered after 90 days of BB consumption compared to control. Stepwise regression was used to assess the relationship between significantly altered concentrations of plasma phenolics and observed improvements in cognition. Among participants in the BB group, changes in switch errors on the task-switching test (TST) from day 0 to 90 were associated with changes in postprandial levels of plasma ferulic acid-glucuronide, syringic acid, and malvidin-3-galactoside (R = 0.521, p < 0.05). Changes in repetition errors on the California Verbal Learning Test (CVLT-II) from day 0 to 90 were associated with changes in postprandial levels of ferulic acid-glucuronide, syringic acid, and hippuric acid (R = 0.807, p < 0.001). These findings demonstrate that the addition of easily achievable quantities of BB to the diets of older adults significantly alters levels of circulating phenolic compounds which are related to improvements in cognition.
蓝莓（BB）含有一系列生物活性酚类化合物，可能对各种与年龄相关的疾病起到保护作用。在这里，我们通过一项随机、双盲、平行研究，探索了 BB 酚类物质的代谢命运及其与认知功能的关系，该研究纳入 38 名健康的老年人（60-75 岁），进行为期 90 天的冷冻干燥蓝莓（24 g/d，相当于一杯新鲜蓝莓）或对照的慢性补充。在这些天，空腹（t = 0 h）和早餐后 2 小时采集血样，并且在这些天还进行了一系列认知测试。与对照组相比，在 BB 摄入 90 天后， hippuric acid、phloroglucinaldehyde、syringic acid、ferulic acid-glucuronide、cyanidin-3-O-galactoside、cyanidin-3-O-glucoside、malvidin-3-O-galactoside、malvidin-3-O-glucoside、peonidin-3-O-xyloside、peonidin glucuronide 和 petunidin-3-O-glucoside 的浓度明显改变。采用逐步回归评估血浆酚类物浓度显著改变与认知改善之间的关系。在 BB 组中，从第 0 天到第 90 天，任务转换测试（TST）的转换错误的变化与餐后血浆 ferulic acid-glucuronide、syringic acid 和 malvidin-3-galactoside 的变化相关（R = 0.521，p < 0.05）。从第 0 天到第 90 天，加利福尼亚语言学习测试（CVLT-II）的重复错误的变化与餐后 ferulic acid-glucuronide、syringic acid 和 hippuric acid 的变化相关（R = 0.807，p < 0.001）。这些发现表明，在老年人的饮食中添加容易获得的蓝莓量，可显著改变循环酚类化合物的水平，这与认知功能的改善有关。
