Red grapes, blueberries for better health

RESVERATROL found in red grapes and pterostilbene in blueberries are two compounds Resveratrol and that have shown promising effects on the human immune system. Of 446 compounds analysed pterostilbene for their the ability to boost the innate immune system, only these two were interesting to researchers in the work in synergy Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University with vitamin in the United States. Belonging to the group of stilbenoids, these compounds are said to interact with D to increase vitamin D and have an impact in raising the expression of the human cathelicidin antimicrobial peptide, or CAMP gene CAMP gene that is involved in immune function.

According to the scientists, the findings were expression made in laboratory cell cultures and do not prove that is involved that similar results would occur as a result of dietary intake. However, they show that some foods do have a in immune positive effect on immune response.

“Out of a study of hundreds of compounds, just function these two popped right out,” said Adrian Gombart, an LPI principal investigator and associate professor in the OSU College of Science. “Their synergy with vitamin D to increase CAMP gene expression was significant and intriguing. It’s a pretty interesting interaction.”

Many studies have been made on resveratrol for its many health benefits, including improving cardiovascular health, fighting cancer and reducing inflammation. This early research is the first to show a synergy with vitamin D that increased CAMP expression by several times, scientists said. The CAMP gene has often been studied since it appears to play a key role in the “innate” immune system, or the body’s first line of defence and ability to combat bacterial infection. The innate immune response is especially important as many antibiotics increasingly lose their effectiveness. A strong link has been established between adequate vitamin D levels and the function of the CAMP gene, and the new research suggests that certain other compounds may play a role as well.

According to the researchers, stilbenoids, which are produced by plants to fight infections, may affect some of the signaling pathways that allow vitamin D to function. The studies show that combining stilbenoids with vitamin D has more biological impact than any of them would separately.

Further studies on the subject would be able to tell how diet and nutrition affect immune function, and could lead to the development of therapeutically useful natural compounds for boosting the innate immune response, the researchers said.

The bioavailability of resveratrol and pterostilbene and other such compounds remains a question, the researchers said. Some applications that may evolve could be with topical use to improve barrier defence in wounds or infections.

The regulation of the CAMP gene by vitamin D was discovered by Professor Gombart, and researchers are still learning more about how it and other compounds affect immune function. The unique biological pathways involved are found in only two groups of animals – humans and non-human primates. Their importance in the immune response could be one reason those pathways have survived through millions of years of separate evolution of these species.