The relationship between the anthocyanin and vitamin C contents of red-fleshed sweet cherries and the ability of fruit digests to reduce hydrogen peroxide-induced oxidative stress in Caco-2 cells

- Cultivar and batch significantly affect the bioprotective capacity of cherries.
- Cherry digests high in anthocyanins can protect Caco-2 cells from oxidative stress.
- The cultivars Sweetheart and Stella have the greatest bioprotective capacity.

The present work investigated the bioprotective capacities of red-fleshed sweet cherry cultivars (Prunus avium; Lapins, Stella, Sweetheart and Staccato), with distinct differences in anthocyanins and vitamin C contents, on human intestinal Caco-2 cells exposed to hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-induced oxidative stress. Three assays of cell health, the 3-(4,5-dimethythiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl-tetrazolium-bromide cell viability assay, the lactate dehydrogenase membrane leakage assay and nitric oxide production, were used to determine if these cherry digests differed in their ability to protect Caco-2 cells from H2O2. Cells treated with digests from cherries identified as containing high anthocyanins provided the greatest protection against H2O2. A strong linear correlation (−0.82 < r < 0.86) was found between anthocyanin content and cell health biomarkers, indicating that anthocyanins effectively protected Caco-2 cells in a concentration-dependent manner. Sweetheart and Stella cherries demonstrated the greatest bioprotective capacity, suggesting that anthocyanin levels are better markers of a cultivar's ability to protect human cells from oxidative stress than vitamin C.