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Acetyl-L Carnitine
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Arnica
Ashwagandha
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Astaxanthin,
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Avena sativa
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black cohosh
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Borage Seed Oil
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Black Soya Bean
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Brown Seaweed
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Butein
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Chondroitin
Chitosan
Chlorella
Chlorophyll
Chromium
Cinnamon
CLA
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Coenzyme Q
Coffee
Comfrey
Conj. Linoleic Acid
Colostrum
Colloidal Silver
Cordyceps
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Cranberry
Creatine
Curcumin
Damiana
Dandelion
Danggui_Buxue
Devil's Claw
DHEA
Dill
Dong Quai
EGCG
Echinacea
Eleuthero
Ellagic Acid
Eucalyptus G.
Eve. Primrose Oil
Falcarinol
Fennel
Fenugreek
Feverfew
Folate
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FLAVONOIDS IN BLACK CURRANT


Flavonoids and related plant compounds in fruits and
vegetables are of particular importance as they have been
found to possess antioxidant and free radical scavenging
activity. Researchers analyzed the content of the flavonols
quercetin, myricetin, and kaempferol in 10 black currant
cultivars and they found myricetin was the most abundant
flavonol in the study. In addition, they also found a high
variability in the levels of flavonols in different cultivars. [8]

ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITIES, HEALTH BENEFITS OF
ANTHOCYANINS IN BLACK CURRANT
The berries of black currant are rich in polyphenolic
compounds and especially in anthocyanins, demonstrating
antioxidant activity. Antioxidant activities of plant products
contribute multiple health benefits. Researchers evaluated
13 black currant juices and found anthocyanin content or
vitamin C attributed 70% of the antioxidant capacity of the
juices. And, the antioxidant activity of the anthocyanin was
most intense at neutral pHs. [18, 25]

Researchers administered monkeys on fat diets with
blackcurrant for three months. In the study, blood filtrability
of animals given a fat diet alone was significantly lowered
as compared with that of animals receiving a standard diet.
However, blood filtrability of animals receiving a fat diet
and blackcurrant anthocyanosides was not significantly
different from that of animals given a standard diet. [1]

POTENTIAL HEALTH BENEFITS OF BLACK CURRANT
JUICES

Black currant juice shows anti-cancer activities.
The fruit juice of black currant was found to contain a
polysaccharide-rich substance, which was designated
cassis polysaccharide, with macrophage-stimulating
activity. Especially, its interleukin (IL)-1beta-inducing
activity was remarkably high, compared with other fruit
juice preparations.

In a study of carcinoma-bearing mice, oral administration
of black currant juice and cassis polysaccharide retarded
the growth of the solid tumor by 45% and 51%
respectively. carcinoma-bearing administration had a
stimulatory effect on the release of IL-2, IL-10,
interferon-gamma, and IL-4 from splenocytes cassis
polysaccharide showed a certain cytotoxicity directly
against tumor cells. [26]

Black currant juice shows anti-oxidant activities against
human LDL oxidation.
Enzymatic release of phenolic compounds from pomace
remaining from black currant (Ribes nigrum) juice exerted
a pronounced antioxidant activity against human LDL
oxidation in vitro when tested at equimolar phenol
concentrations of 7.5-10 microM. [7]

Black currant juice is not stable at high temperature.
Black currant juice quality changes when stored at high
temperatures. Storage of black currant at 60 degrees C
for eight hours, the amount of polyphenols decreased by
46%, anthocyanins 31%, and antioxidant activity by 26%.
[20, 22]

POTENTIAL HEALTH BENEFITS OF BLACK CURRANT
CONCENTRATE

Researchers investigated the effect of black currant
concentrate on smooth muscle in rat thoracic aorta. They
found that black currant concentrate dose-dependently
relaxed the norepinephrine (0.1 microM)-precontracted
aorta, and the response was abolished after endothelium
removal. They concluded that black currant concentrate
enhances synthesis of NO, which subsequently induces
the endothelium-dependent vasorelaxation via the
H1-receptors on the endothelium. [17]

POTENTIAL HEALTH BENEFITS OF BLACK CURRANT
SEED

Several crude and purified polysaccharides from black
currant seeds (Ribes nigrum L.) have been isolated,
analysed and examined on their effects against
Helicobacter pylori in in situ adhesion studies on sections
of human gastric mucosa. After pre-treatment of
Helicobacter pylori with 0.01 to 0.1 % solutions of the
isolated raw polysaccharide (RPS), the epithelial binding of
the bacteria was considerably reduced in a
concentration-dependent manner. Researchers concluded
that its acidic, high molecular weight galactans are
responsible for the antiadhesive qualities of black currant
seed extracts and that these polymers are able to block
Helicobacter surface receptors, thus inhibiting their
interaction with specific binding factors located on human
gastric epithelia. [21]

POTENTIAL HEALTH BENEFITS OF BLACK CURRANT
SEED OIL

Black currant seed oil, rich in both gamma-linolenic
(18:3n-6) and alpha-linolenic (18:3n-3) acids, has been
shown to modulate membrane lipid composition and
eicosanoid production. [6]

European diets provide a suboptimal intake of
eicosapentaenoic (20:5n3) and docosahexaenoic (22:6n3)
acids, which are derived mainly from fish oils. A study
indicates that black currant seed oil, which contains 14.5%
alpha-linolenic (18:3n3), 12.6% gamma-linolenic (18:3n6),
47.5% linoleic (18:2n6) and 2.7% stearidonic (18:4n3)
acids, could potentially serve as alternative to fish oil as a
n3 fatty acid source. This study of 15 healthy females
indicates that black currant seed oil supplementation can
lower serum levels of LDL cholesterol. [23] In another
study, black currant oil (gamma-linolenic acid; GLA) diets
lower the blood pressure of SHR rats and help relieve
inflammation and enhance the immune systems. [4-6]

Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) shows inhibitory effects on
histamine release, eicosanoid production and pruritus in
laboratory rodents, and it showed benefits on atopic
dermatitis in a study of dog. [27]

THIS ARTICLE IS FOR YOUR REFERENCE ONLY. IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTION, YOU SHOULD
CONSULT WITH YOUR DOCTOR. ALL RIGHT RESERVED 2006 ZHION. REFERENCE: [1] Millet J et al,
Improvement of blood filtrability with a purified extract of black currant anthocyanosides in cynomologus
monkeys on a fat diet J Pharmacol. 1984 Oct-Dec;15(4):439-45. [2] Crozier GL, et al, Black currant seed oil
feeding and fatty acids in liver lipid classes of guinea pigs. Lipids. 1989 May;24(5):460-6. [3] Declume C.
Anti-inflammatory evaluation of a hydroalcoholic extract of black currant leaves (Ribes nigrum). J
Ethnopharmacol. 1989 Nov;27(1-2):91-8. [4] Engler MM. Comparative study of diets enriched with evening
primrose, black currant, borage or fungal oils on blood pressure and pressor responses in spontaneously
hypertensive rats. Prostaglandins Leukot Essent Fatty Acids. 1993 Oct;49(4):809-14. [5] Tate GA, Zurier RB.
Suppression of monosodium urate crystal-induced inflammation by black currant seed oil. Agents Actions.
1994 Nov;43(1-2):35-8. [6] Wu D, Effect of dietary supplementation with black currant seed oil on the immune
response of healthy elderly subjects. Am J Clin Nutr. 1999 Oct;70(4):536-43.  [7] Landbo AK, Meyer AS.
Enzyme-assisted extraction of antioxidative phenols from black currant juice press residues (Ribes nigrum). J
Agric Food Chem. 2001 Jul;49(7):3169-77. [8] Mikkonen TP, Flavonol content varies among black currant
cultivars. J Agric Food Chem. 2001 Jul;49(7):3274-7. [17] Nakamura Y, Matsumoto H, Todoki
K.Endothelium-dependent vasorelaxation induced by black currant concentrate in rat thoracic aorta. Jpn J
Pharmacol. 2002 May;89(1):29-35.

[18] Matsumoto H, et al, Antioxidant activity of black currant anthocyanin aglycons and their glycosides
measured by chemiluminescence in a neutral pH region and in human plasma. J Agric Food Chem. 2002 Aug
28;50(18):5034-7. [19] Nielsen IL, et al, Quantification of anthocyanins in commercial black currant juices by
simple high-performance liquid chromatography. Investigation of their pH stability and antioxidative potency. J
Agric Food Chem. 2003 Sep 24;51(20):5861-6. [20] Kasparaviciene G, Briedis V.Stability and antioxidant
activity of black currant and black aronia berry juices Medicina (Kaunas). 2003;39 Suppl 2:65-9. [21] Lengsfeld
C, Deters A, Faller G, Hensel A. High molecular weight polysaccharides from black currant seeds inhibit
adhesion of Helicobacter pylori to human gastric mucosa. Planta Med. 2004 Jul;70(7):620-6. [22] Varming C,
Andersen ML, Poll L. Influence of thermal treatment on black currant (Ribes nigrum L.) juice aroma. J Agric
Food Chem. 2004 Dec 15;52(25):7628-36. [23] Tahvonen RL, Schwab US, Linderborg KM, Mykkanen HM,
Kallio HP.Black currant seed oil and fish oil supplements differ in their effects on fatty acid profiles of plasma
lipids, and concentrations of serum total and lipoprotein lipids, plasma glucose and insulin. J Nutr Biochem.
2005 Jun;16(6):353-9. [25] McDougall GJ, et al Anthocyanin-flavanol condensation products from black currant
(Ribes nigrum L.). J Agric Food Chem. 2005 Oct 5;53(20):7878-85. [26] Takata R, Yamamoto R, Yanai T,
Konno T, Okubo T. Immunostimulatory effects of a polysaccharide-rich substance with antitumor activity
isolated from black currant (Ribes nigrum L.). Biosci Biotechnol Biochem. 2005 Nov;69(11):2042-50. [27] Noli
C, Carta G, Cordeddu L, Melis MP, Murru E, Banni S. Conjugated linoleic acid and black currant seed oil in the
treatment of canine atopic dermatitis: A preliminary report. Vet J. 2006 Feb 20

THIS ARTICLE IS FOR YOUR REFERENCE ONLY. IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, PLEASE,
CONSULT WITH YOUR DOCTOR. ALL RIGHT RESERVED 2008
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