This study was aimed at understanding potential mechanisms regarding bilberry anthocyanin extract consumption and healthy aging and the effects on intestinal barrier function and digestive enzyme activity, through regulating the gut microbiota in aging rats. Medium-dose bilberry anthocyanin extract consumption (20 mg per kg bw per day) was the optimum amount to regulate the intestinal function of aging rats. After consumption, bacteria beneficial to the intestine (Aspergillus oryzae, Lactobacillus, Bacteroides, Clostridiaceae-1, the Bacteroidales-S24-7-group and the Lachnospiraceae_NK4A136_group) were induced to grow, and harmful bacteria (Verrucomicrobia and Euryarchaeota) were inhibited. However, high-dose bilberry anthocyanin extract consumption altered some intestinally beneficial bacteria in an adverse way. There was a correlation between changes in bacterial composition and changes in short-chain fatty acids and the intestinal mucosal barrier. Bilberry anthocyanin extract consumption also decreased the activity of digestive enzymes. Our results suggest that bilberry anthocyanin extract consumption is a potential approach for assisting healthy aging.

Bilberry anthocyanins reversed Alzheimer's disease-induced cognitive disfunction, reduced neuroinflammatory response and induced phagocytosis to beta-amyloid protein plaques via activating microglia.

With aging, there is an increasing risk for women to develop perimenopause syndrome, which is harmful to women's physical and mental health. The present study investigated the health benefits of bilberry anthocyanin (BA) on aging perimenopausal Sprague-Dawley rats. Rats that entered into perimenopause through natural aging were treated for 8 weeks with BA, and received either a low dose (LD, 35 mg per kg of bodyweight), medium dose (MD, 70 mg per kg of bodyweight), or high dose (HD, 140 mg per kg of bodyweight). The experimental results suggested that all three dosages of BA, especially the high dose, significantly reduced the serum total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG) and low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels. In addition, BA supplementation markedly reduced the serum malondialdehyde (MDA), effectively increased the activity of hepatic total superoxide dismutase (T-SOD), significantly raised the high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), increased the number of estrogen receptors, and effectively up-regulated the expression levels of G protein-coupled receptor 30 (GPR30), protein kinase B (AKT), and extracellular regulated protein kinase 2 (ERK2). In summary, BA has a great effect on improving the serum cholesterol in natural aging perimenopausal rats via the estrogen receptor signaling pathway, and it may be used as a dietary supplement for perimenopause women to decrease the risk of cardiovascular disease.