This work was funded by the American Heart Association (14GRNT20180028) and the Florida State University Council on Research and Creativity (COFRS).

1. Preparation of Reagents
<ol>
	<li>Prepare 80% ethanol (100 mL) by mixing 80 mL of absolute ethanol (molecular biology-grade) and 20 mL of cell culture-grade sterile water.</li>
	<li>To prepare polyphenol extract (10 mg/mL), weigh 10 mg of CE or PE. Add 1 mL of plain Dulbecco&#39;s Modified Eagle Medium (DMEM) under a cell culture hood. Vortex the solution. Aliquot in 200-&#181;L portions and store at -20 &#176;C.</li>
	<li>Prepare lysis buffer.
	<ol>
		<li>Add 5 mL of 1 M HEPES stock solution (pH 7.4; 50 mM final), ...

<ol>
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B. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Gut+microbiota+in+health+and+disease.">Gut microbiota in health and disease.</a> Physiol Rev. 90 (3), 859-904 (2010).</li><li>Manach, C., Scalbert, A., Morand, C., Remesy, C., Jimenez, L. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Polyphenols:+food+sources+and+bioavailability.">Polyphenols: food sources and bioavailability.</a> Am J Clin Nutr. 79 (5), 727-747 (2004).</li><li>Griffiths, G., Trueman, L., Crowther, T., Thomas, B., Smith, B. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Onions--a+global+benefit+to+health.">Onions--a global benefit to health.</a> Phytother Res. 16 (7), 603-615 (2002).</li><li>Mazzoni, L., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=The+genetic+aspects+of+berries:+from+field+to+health.">The genetic aspects of berries: from field to health.</a> J Sci Food Agric. 96 (2), 365-371 (2016).</li><li>Wang, S. Y., Jiao, H. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Scavenging+capacity+of+berry+crops+on+superoxide+radicals,+hydrogen+peroxide,+hydroxyl+radicals,+and+singlet+oxygen.">Scavenging capacity of berry crops on superoxide radicals, hydrogen peroxide, hydroxyl radicals, and singlet oxygen.</a> J Agric Food Chem. 48 (11), 5677-5684 (2000).</li><li>Choi, M. H., Shim, S. M., Kim, G. H. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Protective+effect+of+black+raspberry+seed+containing+anthocyanins+against+oxidative+damage+to+DNA,+protein,+and+lipid.">Protective effect of black raspberry seed containing anthocyanins against oxidative damage to DNA, protein, and lipid.</a> J Food Sci Technol. 53 (2), 1214-1221 (2016).</li><li>Forbes-Hernandez, T. Y., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=The+Healthy+Effects+of+Strawberry+Polyphenols:+Which+Strategy+behind+Antioxidant+Capacity?.">The Healthy Effects of Strawberry Polyphenols: Which Strategy behind Antioxidant Capacity?.</a> Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 56, S46-S59 (2016).</li><li>Figueira, M. E., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Protective+effects+of+a+blueberry+extract+in+acute+inflammation+and+collagen-induced+arthritis+in+the+rat.">Protective effects of a blueberry extract in acute inflammation and collagen-induced arthritis in the rat.</a> Biomed Pharmacother. 83, 1191-1202 (2016).</li><li>Daglia, M. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Polyphenols+as+antimicrobial+agents.">Polyphenols as antimicrobial agents.</a> Curr Opin Biotechnol. 23 (2), 174-181 (2012).</li><li>H&#252;gel, H. M., Jackson, N., May, B., Zhang, A. L., Xue, C. C. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Polyphenol+protection+and+treatment+of+hypertension.">Polyphenol protection and treatment of hypertension.</a> Phytomedicine. 23 (2), 220-231 (2016).</li><li>Niedzwiecki, A., Roomi, M. W., Kalinovsky, T., Rath, M. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Anticancer+Efficacy+of+Polyphenols+and+Their+Combinations.">Anticancer Efficacy of Polyphenols and Their Combinations.</a> Nutrients. 8 (9), E552 (2016).</li><li>Kresty, L. A., Mallery, S. R., Stoner, G. D. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Black+raspberries+in+cancer+clinical+trials:+Past,+present+and+future.">Black raspberries in cancer clinical trials: Past, present and future.</a> J Berry Res. 6 (2), 251-261 (2016).</li><li>Hertog, M. G., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Flavonoid+intake+and+long-term+risk+of+coronary+heart+disease+and+cancer+in+the+seven+countries+study.">Flavonoid intake and long-term risk of coronary heart disease and cancer in the seven countries study.</a> Arch Intern Med. 155 (4), 381-386 (1995).</li><li>Peterson, J. J., Dwyer, J. T., Jacques, P. F., McCullough, M. L. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Associations+between+flavonoids+and+cardiovascular+disease+incidence+or+mortality+in+European+and+US+populations.">Associations between flavonoids and cardiovascular disease incidence or mortality in European and US populations.</a> Nutr Rev. 70 (9), 491-508 (2012).</li><li>Cassidy, A., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=High+anthocyanin+intake+is+associated+with+a+reduced+risk+of+myocardial+infarction+in+young+and+middle-aged+women.">High anthocyanin intake is associated with a reduced risk of myocardial infarction in young and middle-aged women.</a> Circulation. 127 (2), 188-196 (2013).</li><li>Jacques, P. F., Cassidy, A., Rogers, G., Peterson, J. J., Dwyer, J. T. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Dietary+flavonoid+intakes+and+CVD+incidence+in+the+Framingham+Offspring+Cohort.">Dietary flavonoid intakes and CVD incidence in the Framingham Offspring Cohort.</a> Br J Nutr. 114 (9), 1496-1503 (2015).</li><li>Aghababaee, S. K., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Effects+of+blackberry+(Morus+nigra+L.)+consumption+on+serum+concentration+of+lipoproteins,+apo+A-I,+apo+B,+and+high-sensitivity-C-reactive+protein+and+blood+pressure+in+dyslipidemic+patients.">Effects of blackberry (Morus nigra L.) consumption on serum concentration of lipoproteins, apo A-I, apo B, and high-sensitivity-C-reactive protein and blood pressure in dyslipidemic patients.</a> J Res Med Sci. 20 (7), 684-691 (2015).</li><li>Jeong, H. S., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Effects+of+Rubus+occidentalis+extract+on+blood+pressure+in+patients+with+prehypertension:+Randomized,+double-blinded,+placebo-controlled+clinical+trial.">Effects of Rubus occidentalis extract on blood pressure in patients with prehypertension: Randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled clinical trial.</a> Nutrition. 32 (4), 461-467 (2016).</li><li>Jia, H., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=The+antihypertensive+effect+of+ethyl+acetate+extract+from+red+raspberry+fruit+in+hypertensive+rats.">The antihypertensive effect of ethyl acetate extract from red raspberry fruit in hypertensive rats.</a> Pharmacogn Mag. 7 (25), 19-24 (2011).</li><li>Feresin, R. G., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Blackberry,+raspberry+and+black+raspberry+polyphenol+extracts+attenuate+angiotensin+II-induced+senescence+in+vascular+smooth+muscle+cells.">Blackberry, raspberry and black raspberry polyphenol extracts attenuate angiotensin II-induced senescence in vascular smooth muscle cells.</a> Food Funct. 7 (10), 4175-4187 (2016).</li><li>Pergola, C., Rossi, A., Dugo, P., Cuzzocrea, S., Sautebin, L. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Inhibition+of+nitric+oxide+biosynthesis+by+anthocyanin+fraction+of+blackberry+extract.">Inhibition of nitric oxide biosynthesis by anthocyanin fraction of blackberry extract.</a> Nitric Oxide. 15 (1), 30-39 (2006).</li><li>Lu, H., Li, J., Zhang, D., Stoner, G. D., Huang, C. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Molecular+mechanisms+involved+in+chemoprevention+of+black+raspberry+extracts:+from+transcription+factors+to+their+target+genes.">Molecular mechanisms involved in chemoprevention of black raspberry extracts: from transcription factors to their target genes.</a> Nutr Cancer. 54 (1), 69-78 (2006).</li><li>Kim, S., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Aqueous+extract+of+unripe+Rubus+coreanus+fruit+attenuates+atherosclerosis+by+improving+blood+lipid+profile+and+inhibiting+NF-&#954;B+activation+via+phase+II+gene+expression.">Aqueous extract of unripe Rubus coreanus fruit attenuates atherosclerosis by improving blood lipid profile and inhibiting NF-&#954;B activation via phase II gene expression.</a> J Ethnopharmacol. 146 (2), 515-524 (2013).</li><li>Wang, J., Mazza, G. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Effects+of+anthocyanins+and+other+phenolic+compounds+on+the+production+of+tumor+necrosis+factor+alpha+in+LPS/IFN-gamma-activated+RAW+264.7+macrophages.">Effects of anthocyanins and other phenolic compounds on the production of tumor necrosis factor alpha in LPS/IFN-gamma-activated RAW 264.7 macrophages.</a> J Agric Food Chem. 50 (15), 4183-4189 (2002).</li><li>Pascual-Teresa, S., Moreno, D. 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The authors have nothing to disclose.

Polyphenols isolated from berries contain distinct compositions. The ethanol-based extraction protocol described here allowed for the identification of different levels of phenolic acids and flavonoids present in crude and purified polyphenol extracts of BL (Table 1). CE was enriched in gallic acid, ferulic acid, 4-O-caffeoylquinic acid, and 5-O-caffeoylquinic acid. The purification process did not significantly alter the levels of gallic acid and p-coumaric acid. However, it increased the levels of 3-<e...

Polyphenols are compounds containing at least one phenolic ring in their structure and are abundantly present in the plant kingdom1. Humans have been consuming plants for millennia for medicinal purposes without being aware of the existence of such compounds2. Many fruits and vegetables have some shared polyphenolic compounds, albeit with different quantities, including flavonoids, stilbenes, and phenolic acids3. Although polyphenols are often associated with colorful fruits and vegetables, this is not strictly true. For example, zeaxanthin and xanthine are present in vegetables that are not highly colorful, such as onions and garlic, which are from the family of scallions and are associated with numerous health benefits4. Aside from being associated with several health benefits5, polyphenols also serve plants by protecting them from insects and ultraviolet radiation2. Polyphenols are commonly found in the human diet and are considered powerful antioxidants, as they can scavenge Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS)6,7,8. They also have anti-inflammatory9, antimicrobial10, anti-hypertensive11, and anti-carcinogenic12,13 properties.
Epidemiological studies demonstrate an inverse association between the consumption of flavonoids and cardiovascular disease (CVD) incidence16,17 and mortality14,15. Berries are widely consumed in the US and have high amounts of polyphenols, including flavonoids. For instance, consumption of blackberry (BL) juice (300 mL/d) for eight weeks significantly decreased systolic blood pressure in dyslipidemic patients18. Jeong et al.19 reported that pre-hypertensive men and women consuming 2.5 g of black raspberry (BRB) extract per day had lower 24-h and nighttime blood pressure compared to those consuming a placebo. Raspberries (RB) decreased blood pressure while increasing the expression of superoxide dismutase (SOD) in spontaneously hypertensive rats20. It has recently been shown that BL, RB, and BRB reduce the levels of ROS and senescence induced by angiotensin II (Ang II) in Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells (VSMCs)21. In addition, the anthocyanin fraction from BL extract reduced the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and inhibited the activity of Nuclear Factor kappa B (NF-&#954;B) and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated J774 cells22. BRB extracts decreased the NF-&#954;B activation and cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2) expression in vitro 23, improved the lipid profile, and prevented atherosclerosis lesion formation in mice fed a high-fat diet24. Anthocyanins, which are considered the most abundant flavonoids in berries, modulate the inflammatory response in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages by decreasing Tumor Necrosis Factor alpha (TNF-&#945;) production25 and decrease the proliferation and migration of VSMCs26.
Since there has been growing interest in understanding the role of polyphenols in human health and disease, it is important to optimize the extraction method. Solvent extraction is widely used for that purpose, as it is cost-effective and easily reproducible. In this study, a solvent extraction was used with ethanol, along with an ultrasonic-assisted extraction method, which was adapted from Kim and Lee27. The purification and fractionation of crude extracts (CE) using chloroform and ethyl acetate were performed to obtain the purified extract (PE) fraction that was adapted from Queires et al28. Furthermore, the efficacy of crude versus purified polyphenol extracts from BL at reducing the basal phosphorylation of ERK1/2 were compared, and representative examples of the inhibitory effect of purified BL polyphenol extract on Ang II-induced signaling reductions in VSMCs were provided.

<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="971">
	<tbody>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:303px;">Angiotensin II</td>
			<td style="width:157px;">Sigma-Aldrich, Inc.</td>
			<td style="width:168px;">A9525-10MG</td>
			<td style="width:343px;">Treatment of VSMCs</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:303px;">&#946;-actin</td>
			<td style="width:157px;">Sigma-Aldrich, Inc.</td>
			<td style="width:168px;">A2228</td>
			<td>Primary antibody (1:5000)</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:303px;">Blackberry fruit</td>
			<td style="width:157px;">Mercer Foods</td>
			<td style="width:168px;"></td>
			<td>Freeze-dried blackberry powder</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:303px;">Catalase&#160;</td>
			<td style="width:157px;">Calbiochem</td>
			<td style="width:168px;">219010</td>
			<td>Primary antibody (1:1000)</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Chloroform</td>
			<td style="width:157px;">Biotech Grd, Inc.</td>
			<td style="width:168px;">97064-678</td>
			<td>Preparation of purified polyphenol extracts</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">DMEM</td>
			<td style="width:157px;">Mediatech, Inc.</td>
			<td style="width:168px;">10-014-CV</td>
			<td>Culture of VSMCs</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Ethanol (absolute molecular biology grade)</td>
			<td style="width:157px;">Sigma-Aldrich, Inc.</td>
			<td style="width:168px;">E7023-500ML</td>
			<td>Preparation of polyphenol extracts&#160;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Ethylacetate</td>
			<td style="width:157px;">Sigma-Aldrich, Inc.</td>
			<td style="width:168px;">439169</td>
			<td>Preparation of purified polyphenol extracts</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="41">
			<td height="41" style="height:41px;width:303px;">ERK1/2</td>
			<td style="width:157px;">Cell Signaling Technology, Inc.</td>
			<td style="width:168px;">9102S</td>
			<td>Primary antibody (1:500)</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:303px;">EDTA, 500 mM, pH 8.0</td>
			<td style="width:157px;">Teknova, Inc.</td>
			<td style="width:168px;">E0306</td>
			<td>Lysis buffer</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:303px;">Freeze-Dryer</td>
			<td style="width:157px;">Labconco</td>
			<td style="width:168px;">VirTis Benchtop K</td>
			<td>Preparation of polyphenol extracts</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:303px;">FBS</td>
			<td style="width:157px;">Seradigm</td>
			<td style="width:168px;">1400-500</td>
			<td>Cell culture</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:303px;">HEPES</td>
			<td style="width:157px;">Sigma-Aldrich, Inc.</td>
			<td style="width:168px;">H3375</td>
			<td>Lysis buffer&#160;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:303px;">NaCl</td>
			<td style="width:157px;">EMD Millipore, Inc.</td>
			<td style="width:168px;">7760</td>
			<td>Lysis buffer</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:303px;">NaF</td>
			<td style="width:157px;">J.T.Baker, Inc.</td>
			<td style="width:168px;">3688-01&#160;</td>
			<td>Lysis buffer</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="25">
			<td height="25" style="height:25px;width:303px;">Na3VO4</td>
			<td style="width:157px;">Sigma-Aldrich, Inc.</td>
			<td style="width:168px;">450243</td>
			<td>Lysis buffer</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="25">
			<td height="25" style="height:25px;width:303px;">Na4P2O7 , decahydrate</td>
			<td style="width:157px;">Sigma-Aldrich, Inc.</td>
			<td style="width:168px;">S-9515</td>
			<td>Lysis buffer</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="41">
			<td height="41" style="height:41px;width:303px;">phospho ERK1/2&#160;</td>
			<td style="width:157px;">Cell Signaling Technology, Inc.</td>
			<td style="width:168px;">9101S</td>
			<td>Primary antibody (1:1000)</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Protease inhibitor cocktail</td>
			<td style="width:157px;">Sigma-Aldrich, Inc.</td>
			<td style="width:168px;">P8340-5ml</td>
			<td>Lysis buffer</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="41">
			<td height="41" style="height:41px;width:303px;">Protein assay dye reagent</td>
			<td style="width:157px;">Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc.</td>
			<td style="width:168px;">500-0006</td>
			<td>Protein concentration Measurement</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:303px;">PVDF transfer membrane</td>
			<td style="width:157px;">Thermo Scientific, Inc.</td>
			<td style="width:168px;">88518</td>
			<td>Western blots</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="41" style="height:41px;width:303px;">Rotatory Evaporator</td>
			<td style="width:157px;">Buchi Labortechnik</td>
			<td style="width:168px;">Rotavapor 
			R3000</td>
			<td>Preparation of polyphenol extracts</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Sterile water</td>
			<td style="width:157px;">Mediatech, Inc.</td>
			<td style="width:168px;">25-055-CV</td>
			<td>Preparation of polyphenol extracts</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:303px;">Sonicator</td>
			<td style="width:157px;">QSonica, LLC</td>
			<td style="width:168px;">Q125</td>
			<td>Preparation of cell extracts</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:303px;">SOD2</td>
			<td style="width:157px;">Enzo Life Sciences, Inc.</td>
			<td style="width:168px;">ADI-SOD-110-F</td>
			<td>Primary antibody (1:1000)</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:303px;">Triton-X-100</td>
			<td style="width:157px;">Sigma-Aldrich, Inc.</td>
			<td style="width:168px;">X100</td>
			<td>Western blots</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:303px;">Whatman #2 filter paper</td>
			<td style="width:157px;">GE Healthcare, Inc.</td>
			<td style="width:168px;">28317-241</td>
			<td>Preparation of polyphenol extracts</td>
		</tr>
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extraction and purification of polyphenols from freeze-dried berry powder for the treatment of vascular smooth muscle cells in vitro

Epidemiological studies indicate that increased flavonoid intake correlates with decreased mortality due to cardiovascular diseases (CVD) in the United States (US) and Europe. Berries are widely consumed in the US and have a high polyphenolic content. Polyphenols have been shown to interact with many molecular targets and to exert numerous positive biological functions, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and cardioprotective effects. Polyphenols isolated from blackberry (BL), raspberry (RB), and black raspberry (BRB) reduce oxidative stress and cellular senescence in response to angiotensin II (Ang II). This work provides a detailed description of the protocol used to prepare the polyphenol extracts from freeze-dried berries. Polyphenol extractions from freeze-dried berry powder were performed using 80% aqueous ethanol and an ultrasonic-assisted extraction method. The crude extract was further purified and fractionated using chloroform and ethyl acetate, respectively. The effects of both crude and purified extracts were tested on Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells (VSMCs) in culture.

It has been previously demonstrated that polyphenol extracts isolated from BL, RB, and BRB reduced the senescence of VSMCs in response to Ang II21. It has been shown that these purified polyphenol extracts modulate Ang II signaling by reducing the phosphorylation of Akt, p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase (MAPK), and ERK1/2. BL prevents senescence by reducing the expression of the NADPH oxidase (Nox) 1, an enzyme that produces superoxide anions and is strongly up...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Extraction and Purification of Polyphenols from Freeze-dried Berry Powder for the Treatment of Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells In Vitro at JoVE.com

Extraction and Purification of Polyphenols from Freeze-dried Berry Powder for the Treatment of Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells In Vitro

This work details a step-by-step method to prepare polyphenol-rich extracts from freeze-dried berry powder. In addition, it provides a thorough description of how to use these polyphenol-rich extracts in cell culture in the presence of the peptide hormone angiotensin II (Ang II) using Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells (VSMCs).

Extraction and Purification of Polyphenols from Freeze-dried Berry Powder for the Treatment of Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells In Vitro

Epidemiological studies indicate that increased flavonoid intake correlates with decreased mortality due to cardiovascular diseases (CVD) in the United ...

The overall goal of this protocol is to provide a simple and reproducible method for the extraction and purification of plant polyphenols that could be used to treat cells in the future. This method can help answer key questions regarding the role of function of foods in human health and disease. This ethanol-based and ultrasonic assisted polyphenol extraction is an easy and reproducible method that allows for a higher polyphenol yield.The use of chloroform allows for the removal of sugars, fatty acids, proteins and other molecules while ethyl acetate allows for polyphenol fractionation. This concentrated polyphenol extracts can then be used in vitro and in vivo to study the effects of polyphenols as well as their mechanisms of action on various tissues, including the cardiovascular system, as described here. To begin this procedure, prepare the reagents as outlined in the text protocol.Next, weigh out 10 grams of freeze-dried blackberry powder. Add the berry powder to a one liter round bottom flask containing 100 milliliters of 80%aqueous ethanol. Place the flask in an ultrasonic bath at 25 degrees Celsius.Under continuous nitrogen purging in subdued light, sonicate the mixture for 20 minutes at 42 kilohertz and 135 watts. After this, use a chilled Buchner funnel with vacuum suction to filter the mixture through a number two filter paper. Rinse the filter cake with 50 milliliters of 100%ethanol.Save the filtrate and add the filter cake to a one liter round bottom flask containing 100 milliliters of 80%aqueous ethanol. Then, repeat the extraction process by sonicating, filtering and washing the mixture. Combine the two filtrates in a round bottom flask containing 50 milliliters of 80%aqueous ethanol.Using a rotary evaporator at 62 degrees Celsius and 50 rpm, evaporate the solvent. Continue this until the ethanol no longer evaporates. Next, transfer the sample to a 50 milliliter conical tube.Inject nitrogen gas at the top of the tube for 10 minutes to evaporate any remaining ethanol. Freeze the sample at negative 80 degrees Celsius for at least 24 hours. Then, freeze dry the sample at negative 50 degrees Celsius for approximately eight hours.Store the samples at negative 20 degrees Celsius until ready to use. To begin, weigh the freeze-dried extracted samples. Add approximately 20 milliliters of chloroform to a 100 milliliter beaker with the sample.Using a stir plate, mix the solution for five minutes. Then, pour the mixture into a separating funnel. Let the crude extract decant for one hour at room temperature.After this, discard the bottom layer and collect the aqueous layer into a clean beaker. Add two volumes of ethyl acetate to the beaker. Using a magnetic stir bar, stir the mixture for five minutes at room temperature.Next, use a chilled Buchner funnel with vacuum suction to filter the mixture through number two filter paper. Transfer the filtered sample to a round bottom flask. Using a rotary evaporator at 62 degrees Celsius and 50 rpm, evaporate the ethyl acetate for 30 minutes.After this, freeze dry the sample at negative 50 degrees Celsius for eight hours. Transfer the sample to a 50 milliliter conical tube and store at negative 20 degrees Celsius until ready to use. After culturing the vascular smooth muscle cells, discard the culture medium and wash the cells twice with phosphate buffered saline.Then, add four milliliters of PBS and two milliliters of 0.25%Trypsin-EDTA. Incubate in a carbon dioxide incubator at 37 degrees Celsius for five minutes. After this, transfer the cells to a 15 milliliter centrifuge tube containing two milliliters of complete medium.Centrifuge at 1, 100 times g for five minutes. Discard the supernatant and re-suspend the cell pellet with one milliliter of PBS. Using a hemocytometer, count the cells.Next, in six-well culture plates, seed 50, 000 cells per well. Grow the cells to 90%confluency in complete medium containing 10%fetal bovine serum. Prepare the treatment medium as outlined in the text protocol and store at four degrees Celsius.Then, add 10 milligrams of either crude or purified extract to one milliliter of plain DMEM to prepare a 10 milligram per milliliter stock solution. Store the stock solution in 200 microliter aliquots at negative 20 degrees Celsius. After this, add two milliliters of treatment medium, containing 0.5%fetal bovine serum and the desired concentration of stock solution to the cells.Incubate for three days at 37 degrees Celsius in a humidified 5%CO2 incubator. Then, if treating with hormones or growth factors, starve the cells for at least 24 hours by incubating with treatment medium containing 0.5%fetal bovine serum. After starvation, add the desired hormone, replacing the treatment medium every 24 hours for three days, as detailed in the text protocol.Next, wash the treated cells twice in cold PBS. Lyse the cells using 200 microliters of lysis buffer on ice. Using cell scrapers, collect the cell lysate and transfer to a 1.5 milliliter microcentrifuge tube.Incubate the collected lysate for 20 minutes on ice, vortexing every five minutes. After this, sonicate the cell extracts with three bursts at 125 watts for 10 seconds each, with a two second pause in between each burst. Using a protein assay reagent at 595 nanometers, measure the protein concentration.Mix 50 micrograms of protein with lysis buffer to obtain a maximum total volume of 50 microliters. Add 16 microliters of a 4x Laemmli sample buffer. Then, heat the samples for five minutes at 75 degrees Celsius.Separate samples in 10%SDS-PAGE gels and transfer to PVDF membranes for Western blot analysis with specific antibodies. In this study, an ethanol based extraction is used to identify the different levels of phenolic acids and flavonoids present in crude and purified polyphenol blackberry extracts. While the purification process did not significantly alter the levels of gallic acid or p-coumaric acid, it did increase the levels of 3-O-caffeoylquinic acid from 170.5 to 235.3 ppm and of Quercetin from 24.5 to 95 ppm.In contrast, Ferulic acid and Rutin were lost during the purification of the crude extract. After the extraction, VSMCs were incubated in 50 to 500 micrograms per milliliter of either crude or purified blackberry extract in medium containing 0.5%fetal bovine serum for three days. Both extracts are seen to be effective at reducing the basal phosphorylation of ERK.However, the purified extract is seen to down regulate strongly at 100 micrograms per milliliter, while 400 to 500 micrograms per milliliter of crude extract is required. This suggests that the purified extract's greater efficiency at inhibiting ERK phosphorylation is due to its higher concentrations of polyphenol compounds. After this, VSMCs are treated for 24 hours with 200 micrograms per milliliter of purified blackberry extract before the addition of 100 nanomoles of angiotensin II.As previously reported, the blackberry polyphenol extract reduces angiotensin II induced ERK phosphorylation, but demonstrates no effect on catalase or SOD2 expression.Once mastered, polyphenol extraction can be prepared in a few hours. This technique can aid researchers in the field of functional foods to explore the role of polyphenols in vitro and in animal models. After watching this video, you should be able to extract and purify polyphenols from fruits and vegetables and use the polyphenol extracts to treat cells in culture.We have used this method to demonstrate the role of blackberry polyphenols in preventing aging of aortic vascular smooth muscle cells. This is significant, considering that aging of the vascular system is a major risk factor for the development of cardiovascular diseases.

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18.8K vistas.  University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. The overall goal of this protocol is to provide a simple and reproducible method for the extraction and purification of plant polyphenols that could be used to treat cells in the future. This method can help answer key questions regarding the role of function of foods in human health and disease. This ethanol-based and ultrasonic assisted polyphenol extraction is an easy and reproducible method that allows for a higher polyphenol yield.The use of chloroform allows for the removal of su...