PD213 - HUMAN PBMCS AS A MODEL TO ASSESS ANTIOXIDANT EFFECTS OF POLYPHENOLS ON MITOCHONDRIAL ROS

PD213

HUMAN PBMCS AS A MODEL TO ASSESS ANTIOXIDANT EFFECTS OF POLYPHENOLS ON MITOCHONDRIAL ROS

T. de Jong¹, L. Harvey², J. Villa Rodriguez², S. Overbeek^1,*

¹Immunology, ²Metabolic Health, Danone Research & Innovation, Utrecht, Netherlands

Rationale: Oxidative stress plays a key role in driving inflammatory responses and impairing immune‑cell function. To investigate how nutritional compounds modulate oxidative stress, we established an assay using human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) to access responses to mitochondrial ROS induction.  

Methods: PBMCs were pre‑incubated for 1 hour with either N‑acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC; antioxidant positive control) or a diverse panel of polyphenol‑rich extracts. Following this pre‑incubation, cells were stimulated with tert‑butyl hydroperoxide (t‑BHP) for 30 minutes to induce mitochondrial ROS production, which was quantified using MitoSOX fluorescence. 

Results: NAC consistently reduced ROS levels compared with t‑BHP alone, confirming assay sensitivity. Multiple polyphenol extracts prevented ROS formation after stimulation with t-BHP.

Conclusion: These results demonstrate that PBMCs provide a physiologically relevant model to assess oxidative stress in primary immune cells. Furthermore, polyphenol‑rich ingredients show clear potential to attenuate ROS generation, supporting their relevance in strategies to reduce inflammatory burden and support immune resilience. 

Disclosure of Interest: None declared