Possible interaction between artichoke digesta and probiotic strain toward the antioxidant activity on human intestinal cells

Artichoke (Cynara cardunculus L. subsp. scolymus Hayek) is an important component of the Mediterranean diet and a good source of health-promoting compounds well-known antioxidant and anti-inflammatory molecules, such as polyphenols(1). Recent evidences indicated that probiotic strains play an important role in modulating activities in the gut-associated lymphoid tissue. In this study the beneficial effects of artichoke was modulated by adding probiotic cells during in vitro digestion process. The artichoke intestinal digesta (containing a range from 0.033 to 67.13 ppm of total polyphenols), in presence or absence of the probiotic Lactobacillus paracasei strain LMG P-22043, was evaluated for antioxidant activity on human intestinal cell line (HT-29) using DCF-DA probe. Although the recovered bioaccessibility of total polyphenols did not change in the presence of L. paracasei (71± 17.6 % with respect to 66 ± 14.4%), the antioxidant effect was significantly (p<0.05) improved by the presence of probiotic cells (IC50 value= 1.0 ± 0.7 ppm of total polyphenols) respect to the digested artichoke (IC50= 2.7 ± 0.7ppm). These preliminary results indicate a possible interactive action between the strain and the active components of artichoke toward antioxidant activity in intestinal cells and suggest to further investigate similar interaction toward inflammatory mediators, considering the anti-inflammatory properties evidenced for other strains belonging to L. pacarasei (2).