Abstract 5437: Blueberries: Conventional cancer prevention

Abstract Coronary heart disease and cancer, besides remaining the two leading causes of death in the United States, share another common trait: they can both be attributed to lifestyle choices that increase their risk. Epidemiological studies suggest that the consumption of both an antioxidant and phytochemical-rich diet contribute towards the reduction of heart disease and several cancer types. There has been a substantial amount of interest in Vaccinium corymbosum, also known as blueberries, due to their high antioxidant levels which have been show to help prevent cancer of the colon, breast, and prostate. Blueberries exhibit a high content of both phytochemicals such as flavonoids and tannins; and antioxidants such as phenolic acid and resveratrol. Antioxidants provide protection against oxidative stress, a condition that has been suggested to contribute to a variety of diseases, including atherosclerosis, Parkinson's disease, and cancer. The purpose of this study was to explore the health benefits of organic vs. conventional blueberry consumption by comparing the antioxidant content of their individual components, including pulp, skin, seed, and juice using both the Hydrophilic Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (H-ORAC) and the Lipophilic Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (L-ORAC) assay. High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) was also used to identify and quantify the amount of Vitamin C in both the organic and conventional blueberries. Blueberry samples were obtained from local distributors and the assays were replicated with five different lots of blueberries. Results indicated that conventional blueberries (33,388 TE/100g pulp, seed, skin and 607,700 TE/L juice) have higher antioxidant levels than organic blueberries (25,800 TE/100g pulp, seed, skin and 415,608 TE/L juice) across all samples. Conversely, HPLC determined a slightly higher Vitamin C content in the organically grown blueberries (592.879 μg/g) compared to conventional blueberries (386.947 μg/g). These results suggest that conventional blueberries may have a higher health benefit potential in preventing cancer and many other degenerative diseases that plague the world. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 5437. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-5437