Antioxidant qualities of blueberries could be used for non-medicinal treatment of diseases such as type 2 diabetes

The bacteria Serratia vaccinii can multiply by four the antioxidant qualities of the blueberry. The bacteria is naturally extracted from the tiny fruit and fermented for four days. This could enhance the appeal of blueberry juice for the non-medicinal treatment of diseases such as type 2 diabetes.

This is the theory Tri Vuong recently defended in an article published in the September 2007 issue of Canadian Journal of physiology and pharmacology. “We knew this bacteria could enhance the antioxidant qualities of blueberry juice, but we didn’t know to what extent. My research evaluated the effect of this bacteria fermented with a variety of juices,” says the Université de Montréal student.

A pharmacology PhD student working under the supervision of Pierre Haddad who is known for his work on traditional plant-based medicines, Tri Vuong began his studies at Université de Moncton with another specialist, Chantal Matar, with the help of a grant by McCain in 1999. It’s in the same Acadian laboratory that fellow student Luc Martin discovered that Serratia vaccinii, which is naturally present in blueberries, could have multiplier effects. Cultivated in the laboratory and inoculated with cranberries, the small fruit develops seven times the antioxidant power.

Antioxidants attack free radicals that can be detrimental to the cerebrovascular and nervous systems. In recent years, cranberries, strawberries, raspberries and blueberries have been studied for their antioxidant qualities in order to develop pharmaceutical treatment of certain diseases. The researcher admits that several mechanisms remain misunderstood. “But fermentation with the Serratia vaccinii bacterium confers antidiabetic actvities to blueberry juice.,” he says. “Transformed blueberry juice may nevertheless represent a novel complementary therapy and a source of novel therapeutic agents against diabetes mellitus.”

Vuong’s master’s research at the Université de Moncton was limited to in vitro. He now also uses animal models. “We use diabetic mice. I can’t discuss our results because we submitted an article, but I can say that it’s promising.”

The researcher will use rodents treated with blueberry juice to measure the antioxidant effects on the brain. For instance, these tiny fruit could diminish the effects of Alzheimer’s. Vuong insists that both his results and those of his colleagues in the Maritimes can’t be taken at face value. “We can’t jump to conclusions when it comes to human health. The qualities of antioxidants deserve to be studied, but it will necessitate clinical research before we can confidently say that blueberry juice reduces the effects of diabetes.”

Since arriving in Canada from his native Vietnam in 2000, Vuong has no doubt manipulated more blueberries and cranberries than most Quebecers.

Researcher: Tri Vuong
Telephone: 514-343-6590
E-mail: phuoc.tri.vuong@umontreal.ca