Blackcurrant (Ribes nigrum L.) is a perennial shrub grown for its black piquant berries, rich in a variety of nutrients, phytochemicals and antioxidants. Blackcurrants are commercially grown in 21 countries mainly across temperate zones of Europe, Russia, and New Zealand and to a lesser extent North America. The berries can be harvested by hand and consumed raw, however the main market lies within the mechanically harvested crop used for processing. Demand for juices, and fruit juices in particular, continues to rise mainly due to increasing consumer awareness of the health benefits of a balanced diet. The rich nutritional content of blackcurrant makes it a desired commodity for production of juice and other innovative products. Breeding of new blackcurrant cultivars is dominated by the processing industry and the emphasis in recent years has been to increase the nutritional value of the crop. New berry fruit cultivars in the UK have recently focused more on fruit quality traits than agronomic characters (Brennan and Graham, 2009), and the main quality traits of blackcurrant have been associated with antioxidant, colour and flavour properties. Quality-focused breeding is challenging due to long timescales and low precision as quality traits are complex, show continuous variation, polygenic control, genes of small effects and strong influence by the growing environment; additionally, blackcurrant is a minor crop with no reference genome and existing sequence annotation is based on homology to Arabidopsis. In this study high throughput phenotyping, and metabolome and transcriptome profiling analysis contributed to a comprehensive overview of blackcurrant physiology and regulation during fruit development. Combination of a novel correlation platform and database mining of metabolite and transcript abundances contributed to identification of genes associated with anthocyanin content in blackcurrant and provided functional gene annotation for Ribes sp. Sixty three genes were identified as having major roles in blackcurrant anthocyanin accumulation with putative functions of catalytic proteins, transporters and regulatory proteins; a number of cytochrome P450 family proteins were also implicated. Moreover, a range of proteins with unknown functions in Arabidopsis were shown to correlate strongly with flavonoid accumulation in blackcurrant. The developed approach for functional gene orthology annotation (genes with similar functions) can also be utilised for several other (~200) traits analysed in this study and can provide a functional systems biology platform for other woody perennial species with no reference genome. In parallel, mapping population analysis and a new high-density quality-specific genetic linkage map and quantitative trait loci association with major quality compounds such as anthocyanins, sugars, organic acids and other polyphenols were developed. This contributed to the identification of significant associations between 28 quality traits and 978 markers present on genetic linkage map and created a functional tool for future quality-orientated blackcurrant breeding. The genetic linkage map assisted further functional annotation of several new Ribes SNP based markers obtained through GbS technology through their association with quality traits for which polymorphism can be analysed using existing blackcurrant genomic resources. Integration of functional candidate genes identified in fruit ripening analysis and on genetic linkage map with several blackcurrant genomic resources formed a platform for assisting further developments in quality-orientated blackcurrant breeding at The James Hutton Institute. This platform provides a holistic view of the mechanisms that underlie fruit compositional quality and may provide a means for germplasm selection with no prior phenotypic information. Knowledge and tools developed in this study can be further developed with new developing genomic technologies.

Anthocyanins have been shown to possess specific antioxidant capacities, which may provide an underlying protective effect against many chronic diseases . Although the antioxidant capacity of anthocyanins has been well established, less is known about the extent to which specific anthocyanin composition affects total antioxidant capacity . The aim of the present study was to compare the antioxidant capacity of two different soft fruits, blackcurrant and grape, which have distinctly different anthocyanin profiles. The anthocyanin profiles of grape and blackcurrant were characterized by HPLC/MS coupled with a diode array detector. Results showed that blackcurrant contained four predominant anthocyanins, cyanidin 3-glucoside, delphinidin 3-glucoside, cyanidin 3-rutinoside, and delphinidin 3-rutinoside . In contrast, malvidin 3-glucoside, delphinidin 3-glucoside, cyanidin 3-glucoside, petunidin 3-glucoside, and peonidin 3- glucoside were the major anthocyanins found in grape . The concentration of individual anthocyanins in all berries was quantified with HPLC/UV using cyanidin 3-glucoside as an external standard . Finally, results showed a greater (p<0.05) antioxidant capacity of blackcurrant compared to grape. The total antioxidant capacity of crude extracts from each was measured by Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC) and ABTS assays. Anthocyanin antioxidant capacity index (AACI), derived from the product of antioxidant (ORAC) activity for each of major anthocyanin present in blackcurrant and grape, was also used to determine whether the antioxidant capacity of crude anthocyanin fractions represents either the sum total anthocyanin content or, alternatively, a synergy between different anthocyanins components . Our results indicated that a plausible potential synergy between anthocyanin components in regards to ORAC antioxidant capacity existed in blackcurrant and grape semi-purified anthocyanin extracts. Furthermore, it could be concluded that both total anthocyanin content as well as the composition of individual anthocyanins in soft fruits is important to assess total antioxidant capacity of different berry sources .

Anthocyanins have been shown to possess specific antioxidant capacities, which may provide an underlying protective effect against many chronic diseases . Although the antioxidant capacity of anthocyanins has been well established, less is known about the extent to which specific anthocyanin composition affects total antioxidant capacity . The aim of the present study was to compare the antioxidant capacity of two different soft fruits, blackcurrant and grape, which have distinctly different anthocyanin profiles. The anthocyanin profiles of grape and blackcurrant were characterized by HPLC/MS coupled with a diode array detector. Results showed that blackcurrant contained four predominant anthocyanins, cyanidin 3-glucoside, delphinidin 3-glucoside, cyanidin 3-rutinoside, and delphinidin 3-rutinoside . In contrast, malvidin 3-glucoside, delphinidin 3-glucoside, cyanidin 3-glucoside, petunidin 3-glucoside, and peonidin 3- glucoside were the major anthocyanins found in grape . The concentration of individual anthocyanins in all berries was quantified with HPLC/UV using cyanidin 3-glucoside as an external standard . Finally, results showed a greater (p<0.05) antioxidant capacity of blackcurrant compared to grape. The total antioxidant capacity of crude extracts from each was measured by Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC) and ABTS assays. Anthocyanin antioxidant capacity index (AACI), derived from the product of antioxidant (ORAC) activity for each of major anthocyanin present in blackcurrant and grape, was also used to determine whether the antioxidant capacity of crude anthocyanin fractions represents either the sum total anthocyanin content or, alternatively, a synergy between different anthocyanins components . Our results indicated that a plausible potential synergy between anthocyanin components in regards to ORAC antioxidant capacity existed in blackcurrant and grape semi-purified anthocyanin extracts. Furthermore, it could be concluded that both total anthocyanin content as well as the composition of individual anthocyanins in soft fruits is important to assess total antioxidant capacity of different berry sources .

Anthocyanins have been shown to possess specific antioxidant capacities, which may provide an underlying protective effect against many chronic diseases . Although the antioxidant capacity of anthocyanins has been well established, less is known about the extent to which specific anthocyanin composition affects total antioxidant capacity . The aim of the present study was to compare the antioxidant capacity of two different soft fruits, blackcurrant and grape, which have distinctly different anthocyanin profiles. The anthocyanin profiles of grape and blackcurrant were characterized by HPLC/MS coupled with a diode array detector. Results showed that blackcurrant contained four predominant anthocyanins, cyanidin 3-glucoside, delphinidin 3-glucoside, cyanidin 3-rutinoside, and delphinidin 3-rutinoside . In contrast, malvidin 3-glucoside, delphinidin 3-glucoside, cyanidin 3-glucoside, petunidin 3-glucoside, and peonidin 3- glucoside were the major anthocyanins found in grape . The concentration of individual anthocyanins in all berries was quantified with HPLC/UV using cyanidin 3-glucoside as an external standard . Finally, results showed a greater (p<0.05) antioxidant capacity of blackcurrant compared to grape. The total antioxidant capacity of crude extracts from each was measured by Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC) and ABTS assays. Anthocyanin antioxidant capacity index (AACI), derived from the product of antioxidant (ORAC) activity for each of major anthocyanin present in blackcurrant and grape, was also used to determine whether the antioxidant capacity of crude anthocyanin fractions represents either the sum total anthocyanin content or, alternatively, a synergy between different anthocyanins components . Our results indicated that a plausible potential synergy between anthocyanin components in regards to ORAC antioxidant capacity existed in blackcurrant and grape semi-purified anthocyanin extracts. Furthermore, it could be concluded that both total anthocyanin content as well as the composition of individual anthocyanins in soft fruits is important to assess total antioxidant capacity of different berry sources . / Land and Food Systems, Faculty of / Graduate

Strawberries can be considered a functional food because their consumption has been associated with several health benefits. They are important sources of bioactive compounds, such as vitamins and polyphenolic compounds, with recognized antioxidant capacity (AOC). However, strawberry overall quality and bioactive content are greatly affected by environmental conditions during pre- and post-harvest and, little is known about the stability of its bioactive compounds, specifically ascorbic acid (AA) and polyphenolics compounds. Furthermore, additional research that addresses the impact of polyphenolic compounds on in vitro and in vivo models is needed to understand the mechanisms behind their potential health benefits. Therefore, the objectives of the work presented in this thesis were to: 1) evaluate the impact of different disease control treatments on strawberry bioactive compounds and AOC; 2) understand the relationship between bioactive compounds and AOC in strawberries and fruit juices; 3) investigate the origin of AOC in strawberries by identifying their major polyphenolic compounds and, 4) explore the effects of polyphenol-rich fruits and fruit juices on the proliferation of cancer cells and lifespan of Caenorhabditis elegans. Conscientious consumers are aware of the health benefits of substantial fruit and vegetable consumption but are also concerned about the amount of pesticide residues that can be found in conventionally grown produce, with pesticide-free produce (i.e., organic) becoming more popular. However, the market price for organic strawberries can be more than twice that of conventionally grown fruit which discourages the average American from purchasing this fruit on a regular basis. Therefore, in the first study presented in this thesis, we hypothesized that reducing pesticide usage would provide the consumer with a “sustainable strawberry” that would have better or similar quality at a lower cost than organic fruit while it would also reduce environmental impact and risk to pesticide applicators. Results from this study showed that strawberries from a reduced fungicide treatment, had better or similar bioactive content and AOC than fruit from the conventional disease control treatment. After cold storage, strawberries from the reduced or conventional disease control treatments showed comparable amounts of bioactive compounds and AOC. These results indicate that growing strawberries with a reduced number of fungicide applications can be an alternative to the conventional disease control or organic practices as it may reduce residual fungicides in the fruit, decrease production costs while still retaining important bioactive compounds. In order to understand the relationship between bioactive compounds and AOC in strawberries and fruit juices, 56 different types of commercial beverages were chosen for the second study presented in this thesis. Overall, results showed that the higher the total phenolic contents (TPC) in the beverage the higher their AOC. Amongst all beverages studied, aronia, blackcurrant, and pomegranate juices contained the highest amount of TPC and AOC. Furthermore, after opening the bottles, these juices were maintained for 14 days at 4 °C, to test the stability of their TPC which was in general relatively stable throughout storage. Further investigation on individual polyphenolic compounds and their possible contribution to the overall AOC of fruits and fruit juices, led to a third study. Overall, results showed that the AOC of major individual polyphenolic compounds found in strawberries (i.e., pelargonidin, cyanidin, ellagic acid, quercetin, kaempferol, catechin, epicatechin, caffeic acid, p-coumaric acid, ferulic acid) was significantly higher than that of mixtures of the same compounds. In addition, the AOC of strawberries correlated with its major bioactive compounds (i.e., polyphenolic compounds and ascorbic acid) in a form of a synthetic bioactive strawberry model (“Powerberry”) composed of major strawberry polyphenolic compounds, vitamin C, fructose and glucose in the same ratios found in a real strawberry. These results suggest that even though strawberries contain many different polyphenolic compounds and vitamins, their AOC might only depend on few compounds that are found in significant quantities in the fruit. Finally, using cell and worm models we were able to demonstrate that conventional and organic strawberry, raspberry and blueberry fruits, and aronia, blackcurrant and pomegranate juices successfully inhibited the proliferation of HeLa cervical cancer cell lines. In addition, when introduced in low doses (0.75 mg ml-1 or lower) to the C. elegans diet, aronia, blackcurrant and pomegranate juices promoted longevity. Overall, results suggest that using whole fruit or fruit juices might constitute an alternative of treating cancer cells in vivo and that polyphenolic compounds contained in fruits and fruit juices displayed significant bioactivity in a worm model.

Magistrantūros studijų baigiamajame darbe pateikiami ekologiškai auginamų juodojo serbento veislių fenologinių fazių eigos, krūmo augumo, kekių ir derliaus kokybinių rodiklių bei pažeidimo grybinėmis ligomis ir serbentine erkute tyrimo duomenys. Darbo objektas – 10 ekologiškai auginamų juodojo serbento veislių: ‘Titania’, ‘Geo’, ‘Smaliai’, ‘Minaj Šmyriov’, ‘Blizgiai’, ‘Vakariai’, ‘Katiuša’, ‘Gagatai’, ‘Almiai’ ir perspektyvus selekcinis numeris ‘Aldoniai’ (Vakariai x 70-88-9-1). Darbo metodai: Grybinės ligos ir serbentinė erkutė įvertinti maksimalaus pasireiškimo metu. Atskirai apžiūrėjus kiekvieną krūmą, grybinių ligų ir serbentinės erkutės pažeidimai vertinti 6 balų skale (0 – ūgliai, lapai ir pumpurai sveiki; 5 – pažeista virš 75 proc. lapų, ūglių ir pumpurų). Krūmo augumas vertintas prasidedant ir baigiantis vegetacijai. Juodojo serbento kekės ir derliaus kokybė bei produktyvumas nustatytas įvertinus kiekvieno krūmo derlių, uogų nokimo darnumą ir kekių rodiklius. Darbo rezultatai. Veislės ‘Smaliai’ vaiskrūmiai ekologinei sodininkystei tinka dėl vėlyvo žydėjimo, pražysta tik gegužės 10 dieną, tai vertinga veislės savybė, nes vėlai žydinčių serbentų žiedai apsisaugo nuo pavasarinių šalnų pavojaus ir tuo pačiu, išsiskiria stabiliu kasmetiniu derliumi. Juodojo serbento veislės ‘Aldoniai’ (Vakariai x 70-88-9-1) augalai išaugino esmingai daugiau uogų kekėje, daugiau derančių šakų ir šios veislės augalai pasižymėjo geriausiu žiedų ir uogų kekėje santykiu (pakanka 1... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / In the thesis of Master degree studies is presented the study data about the process of phenological phases of the species of ecologically cultivated blackcurrant, bush height, qualitative indicators of bunches and harvest, also the data about affection by diseases and blackcurrant gall mite. Object of the work – 10 species of ecologically cultivated blackcurrant: ‘Titania’, ‘Geo’, ‘Smaliai’, ‘Minaj Smyriov’, ‘Blizgiai’, ‘Vakariai’, ‘Katiusa’, ‘Gagatai’, ‘Almiai’ and perspective selection number ‘Aldoniai’ (Vakariai x 70-88-9-1). Methods of the work: Fungal diseases and blackcurrant gall mite were assessed during maximum manifestation. Affections by fungal diseases and blackcurrant gall mite after inspection of each bush separately were assessed in accordance with the scale of 6 points (0 - shoots, leaves and buds are healthy; 5 – over 75 percent of leaves, shoots and buds are affected). The bush height was assessed at the beginning and the end of vegetation. Assessment of the quality of blackcurrant bunch and harvest was performed through application of ordinary methods. The results of the work. The breed ‘Smaliai’ is suitable for ecological currant field due to its late blooming, plants bloom only on the 10th of May, this is valuable feature of the breed because the blossoms of the currants that bloom lately are protected against a danger of spring frosts and at the same time exudes a stable annual yield. The number of berries in the bunch of blackcurrant breed... [to full text]

[...]L'ensemble de nos études soulignent le rôle important du stress oxydant qui est lié à la stimulation du SRAA dans la survenue de la dysfonction endothéliale chez le rat présentant une cirrhose biliaire. L'action sur des facteurs pouvant induire le stress oxydant comme la translocation bactérienne et le traitement par des antioxydants (polyphénols) ont clairement montré leurs actions bénéfiques chez nos rats cirrhotiques. Le rôle du NO, en tous cas en tant que vasodilatateur pur, n'est peut-être pas primordial ce qui peut expliquer les résultats décevants en clinique publiés parcertains auteurs. / [...]The important role of oxidative stress in the development of endothelial dysfonction in rats with biliary cirrhosis is emphasized in our studies. Oxidative stress is associated with the stimulation of the RAAS and bacterial translocation. Treatment with antioxidants (polyphenols) and probiotics have clearly demonstrated their beneficial effects on the endothelial dysfonction in our cirrhotic rats. The role of NO as a pure vasodilator is perhaps not essential which may explain the disappointing clinical results published by some authors.

Įvertinus 12 juodųjų serbentų (Ribes nigrum L.) veislių ir klonų derlių nulemiančių svarbiausių komponentų įtaką: atsparumą šalčiui, grybinėms ligoms, serbentinei (pumpurinei) erkutei, lapų žiotelių parametrus ir nustačius jų tarpusavio ryšį – išskirtos veislės tinkamos mechanizuotam derliaus nuėmimui, vertingi agronominiu požiūriu donorai, naujoms veislėms kurti. Veislė Tines yra vėlyvo žydėjimo. Veislės Titania, Tiben ir klonas 98 – 279 – 25 darnaus uogų sunokimo donoras. Mechanizuotam uogų skynimui tinkamiausios veislės Tines, Ruben ir Dailiai. Daugiakiakiškumu išsiskyrė veislės Ores, Ceres, Ruben ir klonas 98 – 279 – 25. Mažiausias sėklų procentas uogoje veislių Titania ir Tisel. Veislės Tines, Bona, Ruben, Dailiai ir klonas 98 – 279 – 25 yra stambiauogiškumo, o klonas 93 – 157 – 1 yra tiek stambiauogiškumo, tiek produktyvumo donoras. Vaiskrūmiai buvo santykinai atsparūs miltligei, vidutiniškai atsparūs šviesmargei ir deguliams bei skirtingo atsparumo serbentinei (pumpurinei) erkutei. Žiotelių ilgis susijąs su krūmų pažeidimu grybinėmis ligomis. Krūmų pašalimas susijąs su pažeidimu deguliais ir serbentine (pumpurine) erkute. / The aim of the research: to investigate and derive the varieties suitable for the machine harvesting valuable as agronomic donors for the development of new varieties. For this reason 12 different blackcurrant varieties and clones were investigated to determine the most important factors influencing their yield: frost , fungal diseases, currant gall mite, leaf stomata parameters and the relationship between them. Tines is a variety of late – flowering. Varieties Titania, Tiben and a clone 98 – 279 – 25 are donors for a sustainable fruit production. The research revealed that the varieties Tines, Ruben and the Dailiai are the most suitable for the machine harvesting. Varieties of Ores, Ceres, Ruben and clone 98 – 279 – 25 proved to produce maximum number of bunches. The minimum quantity of seeds was found in berries of Titania and Tisel varieties. Varieties Tines, Bona, Ruben, Dailiai and clone 98 – 279 – 25 proved to be a large – berry producing variety, whereas a clone 93 – 157 – 1 was determined to be the most productive and large- berry producing variety. Blackcurrant berry shrubs were relatively resistant to powdery mildew, the average resistance was revealed to leaf septoria and stem canker, and the cultivars demonstrated different resistance to the gall mite. According to the research, the stomata length is associated with the damage of the cultivars by fungal diseases. Plant frost damage proved to be closely related to plant being infected by canker and gall mite... [to full text]

Magistro darbe tiriama skirtingų auginimo technologijų įtaką juodiems serbentams. Darbo objektas – ekologiškai ir įprastai auginami juodieji serbentai (‘Ben Lomond‘, ‘Ben Alder‘, ‘Ben Tiran‘). Darbo tikslas - ištirti ekologiškai auginamų juodųjų serbentų derėjimą bei uogų kokybę ir palyginti su įprastai auginamais juodaisiais serbentais. Darbo metodai – lauko tyrimai (buvo skaičiuojamas stiebų kiekis viename krūme, kekių skaičius krūme, žiedų ir uogų skaičius kekėje, krūmo derlingumas) ir laboratoriniai tyrimai (vitamino C ir sausųjų medžiagų kiekis uogose). Darbo rezultatai. Nustatyta, kad įprastiniu būdu auginamų serbentų veislė ‘Ben Lomond‘ turėjo iš esmės daugiau kekių viename krūme, žiedų ir uogų kekėje, lyginant su kitomis tirtomis veislėmis. Auginimo technologijos neturėjo esminės įtakos vidutinei uogos masei. ‘Ben Lomond‘ veislė auginama tiek ekologiškai tiek ir įprastai turėjo iš esmės didžiausią esamą ir potencialų vieno krūmo derlių ir derlingumą t ha-1. Daugiausiai sausųjų medžiagų sukaupė iš esmės ‘Ben Lomond‘ veislės serbentų uogos auginamos įprastiniu būdu. Statistiškai patikimai daugiausiai vitamino C sukaupė ekologiškai auginamos ‘Ben Alder‘ veislės uogos. / Master‘s work deals with influention of different growing technologies on blackcurrant. Object of work – blackcurrant (‘Ben Lomond‘, ‘Ben Alder‘, ‘Ben Tiran‘) grown ecologically and conventionally. Purpose of work is to investigate the productivity and the quality of ecologically grown blackcurrant comparing with conventionally grown blackcurrants. Methods of work – field investigations (counting amount of stems in one bush, number of trusses in a bush, number of blossoms and berries in a truss and the productivity of a bush) and laboratory research (amount of vitamin C and dry substances in berries). Results of work. It is established that conventionally grown blackcurrant ‘Ben Lomond‘ has substantially had more trusses in a bush as well as blossoms and berries in a truss comparing with other investigated species. Growing technologies have not had essential influence on average mass of a berry. ‘Ben Lomond‘ species grown both ecologically and conventionally has had the largest present and potential productivity and harvest t ha-1. The largest amount of dry substances has been accumulated in blackcurrant species ‘Ben Lomond‘ grown conventionally. Statistically reliably the largest amount of vitamin C has been accumulated in ecologically grown blackberries of ‘Ben Alder‘ species.

Depuis quelques décennies, de nombreuses données suggèrent que l’effet protecteur cardiovasculaire des anthocyanes implique vraisemblablement une amélioration de la fonction endothéliale par une augmentation de la formation de monoxyde d’azote (NO). Cependant, les mécanismes protecteurs du transport intracellulaire des anthocyanes dans la cellule endothéliale demeurent mal compris. L’objectif de cette thèse est d’évaluer la contribution de SGLT1 et SGLT2, les co-transporteurs majeurs du sodium et du glucose, dans l’entrée des anthocyanes issues du cassis et de ses dérivés glucoside et rutinoside dans les cellules endothéliales. Cette entrée promeut l’activation de la voie de la monoxyde d’azote synthase endothéliale (eNOS) qui est ici étudiée par l’utilisation de vaisseaux isolés et de cellules endothéliales en culture. Un extrait de cassis riche en anthocyanes (BCE) induit la relaxation dépendante de l’endothélium par la voie du NO sur des anneaux d’artère coronaire de porc et active la voie de signalisation Akt-eNOS au sein des cellules endothéliales en culture. De plus, des expériences additionnelles suggèrent que l’effet protecteur des anthocyanes dépend à la fois du type de glucoside présent dans la structure des anthocyanes mais aussi de la contribution des transporteurs SGLTs dans l’influx cellulaire des anthocyanes. La capacité des anthocyanes à lutter contre la dysfonction endothéliale est hautement potentialisée dans un modèle cellulaire de sénescence réplicative par l’augmentation de l’influx des anthocyanes due à une forte expression des SGLTs. L’ensemble de ces données indique que les anthocyanes extraits du cassis sont de puissants activateurs de la voie du NO endothélial dans les cellules natives et en culture. Parmi les anthocyanes contenus dans le cassis, les dérivés glycosidiques comme la cyanidine et la delphinidine-3-O-glucoside, sont les anthocyanes les plus puissantes afin d’activer la voie du NO. En conclusion, les anthocyanes peuvent être particulièrement intéressantes afin de cibler précocement les sites à risque d’athérosclérose par leur effet de stimulation de l’expression des transporteurs SGLT1 et 2. / Since last few decades, considerable data have been suggested that the protective effect of anthocyanin on cardiovascular system is likely to involve an improvement of endothelial function by increase nitric oxide (NO) formation. However, comprehensive studies on the subsequent mechanisms of protective effect by anthocyanin intracellular transportation in vascular endothelial cell is poorly understood. The aim of this thesis is to evaluate the possibility that SGLT1 and 2, the two major sodium-glucose cotransporters (SGLT), contribute to blackcurrant anthocyanins and its major glucoside- and rutinoside-conjugated anthocyanins uptake into endothelial cells that promoting the subsequent activation of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) pathway using isolated blood vessels and cultured endothelial cells. An anthocyanin rich blackcurrant extract (BCE) induced NO-mediated endothelium dependent relaxation in porcine coronary artery rings and activated Akt-eNOS signaling pathway in cultured endothelial cell. Furthermore, additional experiments suggested that such a protective effect of anthocyanin is based on the type of glucoside in anthocyanin structure and contribution of SGLTs for the intracellular transportation of anthocyanins. An ability of anthocyanin against endothelial dysfunction is highly potentiated in the endothelial cell replicative senescence model by the increase anthocyanin efflux according to the high expression of SGLTs. Altogether, the present findings indicate that blackcurrant anthocyanins are potent activator of the endothelial NO pathway in native and cultured endothelial cells. Among blackcurrant anthocyanins, glucose derivatives such as cyanidin and delphinidin -3-O-glucoside are the most potent anthocyanins for activation of NO pathway. In conclusion, anthocyanin can be more prominent by preferentially targeting an early stage of atherosclerotic site by their increase expression of SGLT1 and 2.