Biological activity of Aronia melanocarpa antioxidants pre-screening in intervention study design

Beneficial effects of black chokeberry fruits and juices in health promotion and prevention of chronic diseases shown both in epidemiological and dietary intervention studies are often connected with their antioxidant activity. The aim of this study was to investigate the total phenolics and anthocyanins content, chemical antioxidant activity (DPPH-assay), antioxidant protection in erythrocytes and anti-platelet activity in vitro of three different chokeberry products: commercial and fresh pure chokeberry juice and crude lyophilized water-ethanol extract of chokeberry fruits, as a part of their pre-clinical evaluation. Obtained results indicated the differences in chemical composition and antioxidant activity of investigated products. Cellular effects, including both in vitro anti-platelet and antioxidant effects, were not directly correlated with the chemical antioxidant activity and results obtained in vitro for anti-platelet effects just partially consistent with the results obtained in vivo, in a pilot intervention trial. In conclusion, chemical analyses and in vitro experiments on foods and their bioactives are a valuable pre-screening tool for the evaluation of their biological activity. However, extrapolation of the obtained results to the in vivo settings is often limited and influenced by the bioavailability and metabolism of native dietary compounds or interactions with different molecules within the human body. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. III41030]