Endothelium is the tissue that covers the inner lining of all blood vessels and the heart. But it is more than a simple wall: it has been discovered that it is so complex and plays such specialized roles that deserves to be regarded as an organ. The endothelium properties are related with their interphase functions - that means as a frontier between blood vessels and the blood itself. It receives and interprets biochemical signaling that activate genes and trigger the production of certain substances with specific functions.
When something goes wrong with endothelium performance, appears what is called endothelial dysfunction. This condition can set off serious pathologies such as atherosclerosis, thrombosis, hypertension, among others.
It has been found that plant derived polyphenols help to contrarest the endothelial dysfunction effects by:
- Reducing platelet aggregation
- Increasing nitric oxide synthesis (a natural vasodilator)
- Reducing the activity of angiotensin-II and endothelin 1 (natural vasoconstrictors)
- Reducing the oxidation of blood lipids
Studies from the Univesidad Católica de Chile have demonstrated that maqui juice and its anthocyanin-rich fraction are effective in inhibiting two key events in atherosclerosis development. One is the protection of LDL from oxidation in vitro and the other, is the protection of human endothelial cell cultures from hydrogen peroxide-induced intracellular oxidative stress.
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1 Miranda-Rottmann Soledad , et al. Juice and Phenolic Fractions of the Berry Aristotelia chilensis Inhibit LDL Oxidation in Vitro and Protect Human Endothelial Cells against Oxidative Stress. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 2002 50 (26), 7542-7547
