Reactive oxygen species are postulated to be involved in systemic inflammation and oxidative stress in patients with obesity. Activated polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMNs) generate extremely high amounts of reactive oxygen species, but these are normally targeted at pathogens inside intracellular phagosomes. The same beneficial antimicrobial functions, if not controlled, contribute to the tissue damaging effects of inflammatory reactions. The evidence from conventional epidemiology strongly implies fruits and vegetables in protection against oxidative stress. In our study, the in vitro effects of Aronia melanocarpa juice on oxidative metabolism and apoptosis of neutrophils from obese and non-obese individuals has been investigated. We tested 15 obese patients (aged 45 ±9 years, women, BMI = 34 ±4.9 kg/m²). Nine healthy subjects (BMI = 22.2 ±1.6 kg/m²) were enrolled as controls. Neutrophils were isolated and oxidant production, in response to phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate, was characterized by using luminol dependent chemiluminescence (CL) and flow cytometric dichlorofluorescin oxidation assay. Caspase-3 activity, a marker of apoptosis execution, in human neutrophils, measured by a cleavage of the fluorogenic substrate Ac-DEVD-AMC. Additional experiments to assess the direct toxic effect of the aronia polyphenols were also carried out. Neutrophils from obese individuals had a significantly higher H₂O₂ production and CL response compared to controls (p < 0.05). The oxidative metabolism of PMNs was decreased by aronia juice treatment in both of groups, obese and non-obese individuals. The caspase-3 activity depended on the time of aronia juice treatment and was markedly increased in phorbol-treated cells incubated with polyphenols for 24 hours. This natural product exert beneficial effects in cells and may, therefore, be useful in the treatment of obesity disorders.

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