The red raspberry ( Rubus idaeus ) fruit contains bioactive
polyphenols including
anthocyanins and
ellagitannins with reported anti-inflammatory properties. This study sought to investigate the cartilage-protecting and anti-inflammatory effects of a polyphenolic-enriched red raspberry extract (RRE; standardized to total
polyphenol,
anthocyanin, and
ellagitannin contents) using (1) an in vitro bovine nasal explant cell culture model and (2) an in vivo adjuvant-induced
arthritis rat model. RRE contained 20% total
polyphenols (as
gallic acid equivalents), 5%
anthocyanins (as cyanidin-3-glucoside equivalents), and 9.25%
ellagitannins (as
ellagic acid equivalents). In the in vitro studies, bovine nasal explants were stimulated with 10 ng/mL IL-1β to induce the release of
proteoglycan and
type II collagen. On treatment with RRE (50 μg/mL), there was a decrease in the rate of degradation of both
proteoglycan and
type II collagen. In the in vivo
antigen-induced
arthritis rat model, animals were gavaged daily with RRE (at doses of 30 and 120 mg/kg, respectively) for 30 days after adjuvant injection (750 μg of Mycobacterium tuberculosis
suspension in
squalene). At the higher dose, animals treated with RRE had a lower incidence and severity of
arthritis compared to control animals. Also, histological analyses revealed significant inhibition of
inflammation, pannus formation, cartilage damage, and
bone resorption by RRE. This study suggests that red raspberry
polyphenols may afford cartilage protection and/or modulate the onset and severity of
arthritis.