8th International Strawberry Symposium

A common denominator in the pathogenesis of most chronic diseases is the involvement of oxidative stress, defined as a persistent imbalance between the production of highly reactive molecules and antioxidant defenses. In this context, strawberry may exert a protective effect against the development of this kind of illness not only because of its antioxidant capacity but also by stimulating the endogenous antioxidant defenses of the organism. The genetic background is one of the main factors that influence the composition of antioxidant compounds, so that the development of new GMO products with high nutritional features could represent a strategic tool to increase antioxidant compounds in different strawberry cultivars. The purposes of the present work were to determine the antioxidant capacity of three strawberry selections (GMO) and to assess their in vitro effects against AAPH-induced oxidative stress in human dermal fibroblast cells. Strawberry selections presented a high antioxidant capacity evaluated through FRAP, DPPH and ABTS assays. Preliminary viability test demonstrated that cells incubated with extracts of all the GMO selections maintained the same rate of viability as control cells, suggesting no cytotoxic effects of these strawberries. In addition, treatment with GMO selections exerted a protective effect against oxidative stress induced by AAPH leading to an increase in cellular viability and to a concomitant reduction in the death/apoptosis rate.