The news is based on a laboratory study in New Zealand, which tested blackcurrant extracts on human lung cells in culture. Its findings have shed some light on the complex immune responses to allergens (substances that trigger allergic reactions), in particular those associated with inflammation of lung tissue seen in some asthma attacks. However, as this was a laboratory study on extracted cells, it is too soon to know whether the type of exposure these lung cells had to the blackcurrant extracts (namely incubating the cells with purified blackcurrant compounds) equates to how the body may access them after consumption of blackcurrants.

This is very early research. While the findings may help explain why diets high in some fruits seem to reduce the incidence and prevalence of asthma, it remains to be seen which exact chemical reactions may be responsible. It is also not yet clear whether the substances tested can be purified and turned into a safe and effective form of treatment for certain types of asthma.

Where did the story come from?

The study was carried out by Dr Suzanne Hurst and colleagues from the Plant and Food Research Institute of New Zealand. It was funded by the Foundation for Research Science and Technology of New Zealand and published in the peer-reviewed medical journal Molecular Nutrition and Food Research.

What kind of research was this?

In this laboratory study, which was conducted in cultures of human lung cells, researchers aimed to identify whether the polyphenol compounds found in blackcurrants could target particular cellular activities, thereby complementing the body’s own immune actions.

In allergy-induced asthma, white blood cells called CD4+ T-helper type 2 cells are activated. These cells interact with other types of white blood cells called eosinophils to promote the lung inflammation that is associated with the classic symptoms of asthma. Two particular chemical messengers released by the T-helper 2 cells, called interleukin 4 (IL4) and interleukin 13 (IL13), are responsible for switching on a chemical called eotaxin, which is known to recruit the eosinophil white blood cells to the lungs.

One of three types of eotaxin (known as CCL26) seems to be the most important chemical in recruiting eosinophil white blood cells to the airways. In this study, the researchers investigated whether chemicals extracted from blackcurrants could interrupt the recruitment of eosinophils through the disruption of CCL26 production. They say that recent epidemiological studies (not assessed here) have shown that an increased intake of fresh fruit and vegetables is linked with lower levels of respiratory symptoms and non-specific lung disease. They say that these studies suggest that certain fruits may contain chemicals that can reduce allergen-induced asthma and that they designed this study to see whether this was true of blackcurrants.

What did the research involve?

The researchers conducted several experiments using polyphenols sourced from New Zealand blackcurrants and cultures of human lung cells growing in a special growth medium.

The researchers first exposed cultured cells to different blackcurrant extracts or to a control substance to see whether the substances had any harmful effect on the cells. They then exposed the lung cells to different blackcurrant extracts or to a control in the absence or presence of IL4 or IL13 for 24 hours and measured the effects this had on levels of CCL26. The researchers then investigated the effects of exposure to “total polyphenols” (the mix of polyphenols naturally found in plants) and then to two specific polyphenol chemicals called anthocyanin (BC-A) and proanthocyanidin (BC-P).

The researchers then undertook further experiments to determine the exact action of the polyphenols on the cells and the time it took for the cells to recover from their effects. Further biochemical characterisation was undertaken to determine the exact chemical components of the polyphenols.

In a second set of experiments, the researchers assessed whether the blackcurrant extracts would affect the role of interferon-y (another chemical messenger) in reducing the secretion of CCL26. Interferons are secreted by a different type of CD4+ T-helper cell called type 1 cells. While their action would be helpful for asthmatics, there are fewer of these cells in allergic lung tissue.

What were the basic results?

There were no adverse effects on the cultured cells when they were incubated in polyphenols extracted from blackcurrants. Initial exposure to the IL4 and IL13 chemical messengers led to secretion of CCL26 from the cells. Incubating lung cells with proanthocyanidin (BC-P) and IL4 or IL13 inhibited the secretion of CCL26 that would normally occur. However, no inhibiting effect was seen when the cells were incubated with anthocyanin (BC-A) and IL4 or IL13. The inhibitory effect of BC-P was no longer present 24 hours after the cells were washed and incubated with IL4 again.

The blackcurrant extract proanthocyanidin (BC-P) enhanced the action of interferon-y (INF-y) in suppressing CCL26 secretion, with the combination of BC-P and INF-y being more effective than either on its own. A chemical called epigallocatechin (EGC) seemed to be the active component of BC-P.

How did the researchers interpret the results?

The researchers concluded that their results demonstrate that an extract from blackcurrants can suppress the CCL26 secretion that is stimulated by IL4 and IL13, both on its own and in conjunction with interferon-y. They say the fact that BC-P but not BC-A had an effect on this pathway suggests that they may be involved in similar but distinct events in the cells.

Conclusion

This laboratory study has revealed how certain chemicals can affect the complex pathways that underpin the response that lung cells have to known chemical messengers. The study has shown that, when lung cells were incubated with certain blackcurrant extracts, they were able to inhibit the expected release of a substance that is known to lead to the lung inflammation seen in the human allergic asthma response. The authors discuss the findings of some epidemiological studies that show that consumption of selective fruits lowers the incidence and prevalence of asthma, particularly in children. The findings from their research may help explain why that may be the case. However, the results come from tests on lung cells in the laboratory, meaning that their applicability to living systems, whether human or animal, is currently uncertain and that the study should be viewed as very preliminary research into the potential pathways for asthma treatment.

The researchers raise the important issue of the “bioavailability” of the plant-derived phytochemicals, i.e. how and at what rate a substance can enter the circulatory system in a human and, therefore, become available for the body to use. They say that these chemicals are found as complex compounds in plants, but that other studies have found that chemicals and enzymes in the gut can break the large molecules down into smaller molecules, which can be more easily absorbed. Whether this process happens in humans, and how the by-products of digestion will affect the immune responses in living people’s lung tissue, will need to be the subject of further study.

A healthy, balanced diet is important for a number of well-established reasons. Asthma medication should not be replaced by blackcurrants until this research has moved on further.

Researchers say compounds called flavonoids in the berries protect the body from the stresses of working out, reports dailymail.co.uk.

The experiment, led by Roger Hurst at New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research, monitored the impact of blackcurrant extract on 10 untrained volunteers.

Those who took the blackcurrant pill before and after daily moderate exercise had fewer signs of “oxidative stress” and muscle damage. Their bodies also had fewer signs of inflammation.

Each pill contained the equivalent of one or two ounces of berries and was taken daily for three weeks before and after exercise.

“In our research we chose a group of 10 healthy everyday people with a wide age range who exercised regularly and measured biochemical indicators to assess the effect of taking the blackcurrant extract capsules before and after exercise,” said Hurst.

Past studies have shown that compounds in blackcurrants reduced inflammation in muscles caused by typing repetitively on a computer keyboard.

Hurst said vitamin C was unlikely to be the miracle ingredient.

“We are looking more closely instead at the role of flavonoids within the fruit. These include anthocyanins, the compounds that gives blackcurrants their brilliant purple colour,” he said.

The research illuminates the basic mechanics of E. coli infections, possibly leading to new antibiotic drugs and infection-resistant materials for invasive medical devices.

Urinary infections are caused when virulent E. coli adhere to cells.

The previous study by Terri Camesano, professor of chemical engineering at WPI, had shown that cranberry juice reduces its ability to attach to urinary tract cells.

The new study explains exactly how this happens.

“This is not a clinical study—it”s a mechanical study that shows us the direct forces that can lead to infection,” said Camesano.

The study revealed that more the amount of juice one drinks, the more the attachment force of the virulent E. coli weakened.

The urine flow cannot generate enough force without the juice to break this attachment to the human cells.

The article is published in the journal Molecular Nutrition and Food Research.

In tests, volunteers who took an extract of the “superfruit” in a pill form before and after exercise suffered less muscle damage and inflammation.

Researchers say compounds called flavonoids in the berries protect the body from the stresses of working out.

The experiment, led by Dr Roger Hurst at New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research, monitored the impact of blackcurrant extract on 10 untrained volunteers.

Those who took the blackcurrant pill before and after daily moderate exercise had fewer signs of “oxidative stress” and muscle damage. Their bodies also had fewer signs of inflammation.

Each pill contained the equivalent of one or two ounces of berries and was taken daily for three weeks before and after exercise.

‘In our research we chose a group of 10 healthy everyday people with a wide age range who exercised regularly and measured biochemical indicators to assess the effect of taking the blackcurrant extract capsules before and after exercise,’ he said.

Past studies have shown that compounds in blackcurrants reduced inflammation in muscles caused by typing repetitively on a computer keyboard.

The new study, published in the American Journal of Physiology – Regulatory, Integrative Comparative Physiology, did not identify the compounds that help the body recover from exercise.

The fruit is both tastier and better for your health, research shows.

The most detailed study of its kind has found that they contain higher levels of anti-cancer nutrients than fruit sprayed with chemical pesticides.

Naturally-produced strawberries also have a longer shelf life and a richer, more fruity flavour, according to the researchers.

Their findings add to a growing body of evidence that organic food is healthier than conventional fruit and vegetables.

Dr John Reganold, who led the study at Washington State University in the U.S., said: ‘We show that you can have high quality, healthy produce, without resorting to an arsenal of pesticides.’

Researchers analysed the taste, nutrition and quality of three strawberry varieties growing on 13 organic and 13 conventional farms in California, as well as 31 chemical and biological properties of the soil where they were grown.

The organic fruit had ‘ significantly higher’ levels of antioxidants – nutrients that mop up potentially dangerous and cancer-causing ‘free radicals’ in the body.

They also last longer and have ‘more strawberry in the strawberry’, Dr Reganold reports in the journal PLoS One, published by the Public Library of Science.

In blind taste tests, volunteers said they found organic strawberries sweeter and more flavoursome. And when they saw the fruit, they judged the strawberries from the organic farms to have a better colour.

Eating fruits with deep orange, red or blue pigments can even reverse the loss of brain power, according to a two month study of laboratory rats fed a berry-rich diet.

Shibu Poulose, who presented his research at the American Chemical Society on Monday, said: “The good news is that natural compounds called polyphenolics found in fruits, vegetables and nuts have an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effect that may protect against age-associated decline.”

Polyphenolics in berries help certain cells called microglia, which clean up toxic proteins linked to age-related memory loss and other symptoms of mental decline.

Drinking the juice is already known to help prevent and treat bladder problems, by stopping bacteria sticking to the bladder wall.

Now these anti-bacterial properties are being tested in dental care.

Our mouths are full of bacteria, which feed off the sugars in food. They then excrete acids that cause dental decay.

Laboratory studies have shown that cranberry juice acts like Teflon, preventing the bacteria sticking to teeth.

The American researchers also found compounds in the juice stopped bacteria building up and forming plaque, which is a cause of gum disease.

They are now planning to isolate the compounds that provide the protection. It’s hoped they could then be added to toothpaste or mouthwash directly.

A SUPERFRUIT with three times the vitamin C of an orange and twice as much calcium as milk is now available in the UK.

The baobab fruit has been revered in Africa for thousands of years for its health benefits.

Now, thanks to an EU ruling, the fruit pulp can be imported for the first time to the UK and British manufacturers are starting to produce products containing it.

The fruit of the baobab tree looks like a velvety coconut on the outside and its white, powdery pulp looks like sherbet and has a cheese-like ­texture.

It can be blended with anything and is highly nutritious and packed with antioxidants, iron and potassium.

The shell is extremely difficult to crack so it will not be available to buy as a whole fruit in Britain but will instead be used as an ingredient.

The fruit powder has a unique, tangy taste described as “caramel pear with subtle overtones of grapefruit”.

The baobab, or upside-down tree as it is also known, is cherished by African villagers who believe its spirit ­protects them. Only specially trained climbers are allowed up the tree to pick the fruit.

Gus Le Breton, chief executive of PhytoTrade Africa, the not-for-profit trade association which is the only approved baobab pulp supplier in Europe, said: “The availability of baobab is timely with attention on South Africa with the World Cup taking place. Consumers can now get hold of it directly for the first time and we expect food manufacturers to roll out their own baobab lines from smoothies to cereal bars and confectionery as they take advantage of the booming market in healthy foods.”

Products already available include baobab jam and lemonade. In addition, baobab fruit powder can be bought for use in home cooking. It is thought that other products containing baobab will become available later this year, including drinks, cereals, ice cream, yogurt and health supplements.