Multifaceted health benefits of black chokeberry

In a recent review published in a magazine Food science and human health, The researchers summarized current research into possibilities for disease control and prevention. aronia melanocarpa, Black chokeberry. These summarize and present the important metabolites of black chokeberry, their respective anti-disease (preventive, adjuvant, therapeutic) properties, and the diverse mechanisms of action of these functional components on the human body.

Research: Polyphenolic components of black chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa) as clinically proven disease control factors – an overview. Image credit: emberiza / Shutterstock

History of black chokeberry in medicine

aronia melanocarpa, Colloquially known as black chokeberry, it is a species of branching shrub native to eastern North America. It belongs to the Rosaceae family and can be identified by its glossy, dark green leaves that turn red in the fall. After research into its health benefits, black chokeberry can now be found in large-scale cultivation facilities spread across Canada, Bulgaria, Hungary, the Czech Republic, and Poland.

Black chokeberry has traditionally been used in North America to treat colds, but increased clinical research has shown that black chokeberry has been used to treat metabolic diseases (hyperlipidemia and hyperglycemia), cardiovascular disease, and cerebrovascular disease. has shown promise. Furthermore, in several in vitro models, black chokeberry was found to have important immunomodulatory effects, especially anti-inflammatory and anticancer effects.

Functional ingredients of black chokeberry

Medically relevant functional activities A. Melanocarpa The main reason for this is its rich and diverse polyphenol content. Fresh black chokeberries are known to contain up to 2994 mg/100 g of these compounds, including flavonoids and phenolic acids. Flavonoids are further classified into flavonols, anthocyanins, and flavonols. Similarly, phenolic acids in black chokeberry included chlorogenic acid and caffeic acid.

Polyphenols, especially flavanols, are the most abundant components of black chokeberry. Studies have shown that the therapeutic activity of this herb is primarily due to the antioxidant properties of its metabolites, which can scavenge and neutralize free radicals circulating in the human body, thereby combating various chronic diseases. has become clear.

Pharmacological activity

Black chokeberry polyphenols have been clinically proven to significantly reduce blood lipid content by inhibiting cholesterol absorption in the small intestine and weakening adipogenesis. This makes black chokeberry supplements effective in suppressing hyperlipidemia and obesity, as well as the development of cerebrovascular and cardiovascular diseases. Black chokeberry's anti-obesity effects extend to fat digestion, with multiple functional polyphenols inhibiting pancreatic lipase activity, reducing fat absorption and visceral fat accumulation.

in vivo In a mouse model, even when mice were genetically modified by inactivating the apolipoprotein E gene, consumption of black chokeberry extract for 4 weeks significantly reduced plasma cholesterol, thereby reducing cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease. It has been shown that it can prevent or delay the onset of.

Encouragingly, black chokeberry extract has been shown to have a significant positive impact on the gut microbiome, with many components of black chokeberry reaching the colon after ingestion. These ingredients have been shown to increase gut microbial diversity and reduce the Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio (F/B ratio). Given that the F/B ratio has been highlighted as a key feature of obesity, these changes, along with increases in the relative amounts of beneficial nutrients, Bacteroides, prevotellaand Akkermansia species have been shown to reduce hepatic steatosis and obesity and promote dyslipidemia in mouse models.

“It should be noted that for healthy people, black chokeberry has no effect on reducing blood lipids or body fat.”

Black chokeberry has further been proven to be helpful in treating high blood pressure. Hypertension, characterized by increased arterial blood pressure, is a complex cardiovascular disease resulting from the interaction of numerous genetic and environmental factors. Studies have shown that black chokeberry extract (containing both polyphenols and non-polyphenols) significantly lowers arterial blood pressure due to the effects of cyanidins (a subtype of anthocyanins) and chlorogenic acids. Four weeks of black chokeberry intake was sufficient to stabilize systolic and diastolic blood pressure in spontaneously hypertensive rats.

Analysis of the daily urine output of these rats revealed that the rats that received black chokeberry extract urinated more frequently and in larger quantities than control rats, suggesting that black chokeberry has a diuretic effect. It was suggested that it may have an effect. The antioxidant properties of this herb further reduce high blood pressure by removing organ-harming free roots from the human body and reducing blood lipid peroxidation, vascular dysfunction, and oxidative stress.

Black chokeberry has also been shown to have significant anti-hyperglycemic and anti-inflammatory properties. The polyphenols contained in these herbs, especially polyphenols, chlorogenic acid, and cyanidin, exhibit strong α-amylase activity inhibition. Separately, anthocyanins found in black chokeberries have been shown to inhibit the expression of metabolic genes (such as insulin resistance) and promote hypoglycemia.

“The regulation of blood sugar by black chokeberry can be used as an effective supplemental hypoglycemic food. In clinical studies, black chokeberry showed different hypoglycemic effects in different types of patients. Long-term consumption of black chokeberry can effectively lower blood sugar levels in patients with metabolic syndrome, but it has no effect on healthy people or patients with other diseases who have normal blood sugar levels.This targeted hypoglycemic ability makes black Chokeberry becomes a better health food to help with hypoglycemia.”

conclusion

Raw black chokeberry is rich in tannins, which prevents overdosing (although mild side effects such as diarrhea will occur), but this herb and its extracts can be used in dose-controlled adjunctive therapy. Studies have shown that when used as food, it has significant benefits for human energy metabolism. such as blood pressure and immune activity.

Unfortunately, little research has been done on black chokeberry. In vitro. meanwhile in vivo Although studies exist, they are primarily conducted in mice or other animal models, with limited data available from human clinical trials.Nevertheless, I proceeded from in vitro and a mouse in vivo Research has highlighted these herbs as a treasure trove of medically important functional components. Future research may highlight these understudied plants as natural, safe, and cost-effective alternatives to conventional extensive therapeutic interventions.