BETHESDA, Md.—Eating an apple a day may benefit individuals with disorders related to bowel inflammation because polyphenols found in apple peels suppress colonic inflammation, according to a new study published in the Journal of Leukocyte Biology.
Researchers at Montana State University discovered the oral ingestion of apple polyphenols can suppress T cell activation to prevent colitis in mice. The study is the first to show a role for T cells in polyphenol-mediated protection against an autoimmune disease and could lead to new therapies and treatments for people with disorders related to bowel inflammation, such as ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease and colitis-associated colorectal cancer.
The research team used a chemically induced model of colitis with Dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) and administered an oral placebo to one group of mice, and the other group of mice was given an oral dose of apple polyphenols every day during the course of the disease. Results showed mice treated orally with apple polyphenols were protected from colitis. They also found the treated mice had fewer activated T cells in their colons. In mice lacking T cells, apple polyphenols were unable to protect against colitis or suppress proinflammatory cytokine expression, indicating apple polyphenols protect against colitis via the suppression of T cell activation and/or recruitment.
“Our results show that a natural product found in apple peels can suppress colonic inflammation by antagonizing inflammatory T cells to enhance resistance against autoimmune disease," the researcher said. “In addition to the obvious health benefits of the nutrients and fiber in fruits and vegetables, this study indicates that even something as relatively common as the apple contains other healthy ingredients that can have serious therapeutic value."
