Bilberry Protects the Kidney

MILAN, Italy—New findings from a study conducted by researchers from the Chinese Universities of Shenyang and Jinan, in collaboration with BRAND’S® Health Science Centre of Cerebos Pacific Ltd., a leading food company in Southeast Asia, suggest Indena’s Mirtoselect® bilberry extract may protect the kidneys from certain toxins.

The study, published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry (J. Agric. FoodChem., 2008; 56(1): 190-96), examined which qualities of Indena’s branded extract work to protect the kidneys from toxicity induced by potassium bromate (KBrO3), an environmental pollutant. Renal toxicity from KBrO3 was analyzed before and after administration of Mirtoselect (extract of Vaccinium myrtillus L. standardized with a minimum of at least 36 percent anthocyanin). In vivo tests concluded over five days and with doses of 50, 100 and 200 mg/kg of Mirtoselect, renal damage was limited; blood and tissue parameters typically affected by KBrO3 were also normalized.