Comparison of Blueberry ( spp.) and Vitamin C via Antioxidative and Epigenetic Effects in Human.

Background: Chemopreventive effects and the underlying mechanisms of blueberry ( spp.) are not clearly understood in human. We hypothesized blueberry would work via antioxidative and epigenetic modulation, which is similar to vitamin C.

Methods: We performed a pilot and non-inferiority study in healthy young women (n = 12), who consumed vitamin C (1 g/d) or 240 mL of blueberry juice (total polyphenols 300 mg and proanthocyanidin 76 mg/d) for 2 weeks. We analyzed 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels in their urine, and global and specific DNA methylation at the NAD(P)H quinone oxidoreductase 1 (), methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (), or DNA methyltransferase 1 () genes in their blood.

Results: Urinary 8-OHdG levels were reduced by blueberry consumption rather than by vitamin C. The methylation (%) of the was significantly decreased in blueberry-consumers and the antioxidant-susceptible subgroup, whose urinary MDA levels were decreased by the intervention. We also found a positive correlation between changes of urinary 8-OHdG and of DNA methylation at the or the ( < 0.05). However, the genetic polymorphism of the (C677T in exon 4) did not affect any above markers.

Conclusions: Blueberry juice shows similar anti-oxidative or anti-premutagenic activity to vitamin C and the potential as a methylation inhibitor for the and the in human.