Medicinal Plant Research 2024, Vol.14, No.4, 210-222 http://hortherbpublisher.com/index.php/mpr 216 Moreover, consumption of whole Zespri® SunGold kiwifruit was associated with a significant reduction in the pro-inflammatory cytokine TNF-alpha in both healthy individuals and patients with constipation-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-C) (Eady et al., 2020). Collectively, these findings suggest that kiwifruit extracts can effectively reduce inflammation through multiple mechanisms, including the regulation of gene expression and changes in gut microbiota. Figure 3 KPE supplementation decreases the expression of TLR-2 and TLR-4 (Adopted from Yuan et al., 2021) Image caption: (A) Immunohistochemical images of TLR-2; (B) Immunohistochemical images of TLR-4; (C) Mean optical density of TLR-2; (D) Mean optical density of TLR-4; (E) The mRNA expression levels of TLR-2; (F) The mRNA expression levels of TLR-4. Different letters (a–d) are used to express the significant difference (P < 0.05) of the same factor among groups (Adopted from Yuan et al., 2021) The figure shows the regulatory effect of kiwifruit polyphenol extract (KPE) on the expression of TLR-2 and TLR-4 receptors in the intestines of rats fed with a high-fat diet (HFD) (Yuan et al., 2021). Figures A and B represent immunohistochemical staining for TLR-2 and TLR-4, respectively, showing a significant increase in the expression of these pro-inflammatory receptors in the HFD group, while their expression decreased markedly after KPE treatment. Figures C-F further validate these results through optical density analysis and RT-PCR, demonstrating that KPE significantly downregulated TLR-2 and TLR-4 expression. This result indicates that KPE suppresses intestinal inflammation by reducing the expression of pro-inflammatory receptors, confirming its anti-inflammatory effect. 5.2 Cardiovascular benefits of kiwifruit Kiwifruit consumption has been linked to cardiovascular health benefits. A review highlighted the potential of kiwifruit to improve cardiovascular biomarkers, such as lowering glycaemic response and improving lipid profiles (Richardson et al., 2018). In a randomized, cross-over study, daily ingestion of two SunGold kiwifruit for six weeks did not show significant changes in metabolic and inflammatory biomarkers, suggesting that the effects might be subtle or require longer intervention periods to become apparent (Mishra et al., 2023). However, the high content of vitamins, particularly vitamin C, and other bioactive compounds in kiwifruit are believed to contribute to cardiovascular health by reducing oxidative stress and inflammation (Richardson et al., 2018). These studies indicate that while the immediate effects on cardiovascular biomarkers may not always be significant, regular consumption of kiwifruit could contribute to long-term cardiovascular health.
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