Chemical Composition, Antioxidant Activities, Antidepressant Effect, and Lipid Peroxidation of Peruvian Blueberry: Molecular Docking Studies on Targets Involved in Oxidative Stress and Depression

Abstract

Blueberries (Vaccinium corymbosum L.) are cultivated worldwide and are among the best dietary sources of bioactive compounds with beneficial health effects. This study aimed to investigate the components of Peruvian blueberry using high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to electrospray ionization and quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (HPLC–ESI–QTOF–MS/MS), identifying 11 compounds. Furthermore, we assessed in vitro the antioxidant activity and in vivo the antidepressant effect using a rat model and protective effect on lipid peroxidation (in the serum, brain, liver, and stomach). We also conducted molecular docking simulations with proteins involved in oxidative stress and depression for the identified compounds. Antioxidant activity was assessed by measuring total phenolic and flavonoid contents, as well as using 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazin (DPPH), 2,2′-azino-bis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic) acid (ABTS•+), and ferric-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assays. Peruvian blueberries demonstrated higher antioxidant activity than Vaccinium corymbosum fruits from Chile, Brazil, the United States, Turkey, Portugal, and China. The results showed that oral administration of Peruvian blueberries (10 and 20 mg/kg) for 28 days significantly (p p 2. In summary, our results suggest that the antidepressant and protective effects against lipid peroxidation might be related to the antioxidant activity of Peruvian Vaccinium corymbosum L.

Keywords

• <i>Vaccinium corymbosum</i>
• antioxidant activities
• antidepressant effect
• molecular docking
• antioxidant enzyme
• oxidative stress