Boysenberry polyphenol and blood vessel health in obese mice
What it found
In obese mice, boysenberry polyphenol improved blood vessel function and lowered signs of cell stress in the lining of arteries.
Lab tests on human cells showed similar effects.
What they found
Animal and lab studies
Artery relaxation
In obese mice, the iliac arteries relaxed less in response to acetylcholine, a sign of poor blood vessel function. Boysenberry polyphenol significantly restored this relaxation.
Studies in people and animals
Oxidative stress in arteries
Obese mice had more reactive oxygen species in their aortas, and boysenberry polyphenol reduced this. The same effect was seen in human cells exposed to palmitic acid.
Nitric oxide production
Nitric oxide levels were lower in the aortas of obese mice, but boysenberry polyphenol raised them. In human cells, palmitic acid reduced nitric oxide, and boysenberry polyphenol or its anthocyanins helped restore it.
p53 and cell ageing
The aortas of obese mice had more p53, a protein linked to cell ageing, and boysenberry polyphenol lowered it. In human cells, palmitic acid increased p53, and boysenberry polyphenol or anthocyanins suppressed it.
eNOS uncoupling
Obese mice had more uncoupled eNOS (monomer form) in their aortas, which can promote reactive oxygen species. Boysenberry polyphenol shifted eNOS back to its coupled (dimer) form. Similar results were seen in human cells.
Anthocyanins as key component
The anthocyanin fraction purified from boysenberry polyphenol improved artery relaxation in mice with dietary obesity and reduced oxidative stress and p53 in their aortas. It also increased nitric oxide and reduced eNOS uncoupling in human cells.
What the authors conclude
“These findings indicate that boysenberry polyphenol and anthocyanins, a major component of this polyphenol, inhibit endothelial dysfunction and contribute to maintenance of vascular homeostasis.”
Also in their conclusions
- They conclude that boysenberry polyphenol and its anthocyanins inhibit endothelial dysfunction and help maintain vascular homeostasis.
- They suggest that intake of boysenberry polyphenol or anthocyanins could potentially prevent vascular disorders and contribute to suppressing cardiovascular disease.
How it was done
The authors wanted to see whether boysenberry polyphenol could protect blood vessels from the damage caused by obesity and related metabolic problems, since polyphenols have been reported to help with age-related blood vessel disorders.
Mice were fed a high-fat diet from 4 weeks of age and from 12 weeks some received 0.1% boysenberry polyphenol in their drinking water until 18 to 20 weeks. The team also grew human umbilical vein endothelial cells in the lab and exposed them to palmitic acid with or without boysenberry polyphenol or its anthocyanin fraction.
What it can’t tell you
- These studies were done in mice and in human cells grown in the lab. They cannot show what happens in people who eat boysenberries.
- The mice were given a high-fat diet to mimic obesity, so the results may not apply to people with different diets or health conditions.
- The study did not test whether eating boysenberries or boysenberry products has the same effects as the extracted polyphenol or anthocyanins used here.
Who paid
- Conflicts
- All authors except for R.F. declare that there is no conflict of interest. R.F. is a company member of Bourbon Corporation.
- Authors work at
- Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Japan
The paper
- Title
- Boysenberry polyphenol inhibits endothelial dysfunction and improves vascular health
- Type
- Study
- Evidence
- Studies in people · animals · lab
- Summarised from
- Full text
- Licence
- CC BY. Words in quotation marks are the authors’; the rest is our summary.
- Cite
- Furuuchi R, Shimizu I, Yoshida Y, et al (2018). Boysenberry polyphenol inhibits endothelial dysfunction and improves vascular health. PloS one. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0202051Free full textPubMed 30106986DOI
Summary written 30 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error