An effective method for preparation of high-purity pelargonidin-3-O-glucoside from strawberry and its protective effect on cellular oxidative stress.

Accumulating evidence indicates that consumption of berries may exert beneficial effects against oxidative stress mediated diseases. Pelargonidin-3-O-glucoside (Pg3G), a bioactive ingredient in strawberry, has been reported to possess a potent antioxidant capacity. This study was therefore designed to develop an effective method to prepare pure Pg3G from strawberry and investigate its protective effect against H2 O2 -induced oxidative stress. According to our results, Pg3G occupied 85.55% of total anthocyanin content in strawberry. 240mg of Pg3G with the purity of 97.26% was finally isolated from 320g of strawberry lyophilized powder (SLP) by combination of AB-8 macroporous resin and high-speed counter-current chromatography (HSCCC) technologies. Further study unveiled that Pg3G significantly inhibited H2 O2 -induced ROS generation, GSH depletion and mitochondrial dysfunction, thereby ameliorating H2 O2 -induced oxidative stress. Overall, this study suggests that pelargonidin-3-O-glucoside can be used as a natural bioactive agent to prevent cellular oxidative stress.