Gold kiwifruit (Actinidia chinensis ‘Hort16A’) for immune support

• Published in: Proceedings of the Nutrition Society Vol. 70; no. 2; pp. 276 - 280
• Main Authors: Skinner, Margot A., Loh, Jacelyn M. S., Hunter, Denise C., Zhang, Jingli
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge, UK Cambridge University Press 01.05.2011; CABI Pub. on behalf of the Nutrition Society
• Subjects: Actinidia; Actinidia - chemistry; Actinidia chinensis; Adjuvants, Immunologic; Adjuvants, Immunologic - pharmacology; Animals; antioxidant activity; Antioxidants; Carotenoids; chemistry; copper; Dietary fiber; Dietary minerals; digestion; digestive system; disease resistance; DNA; DNA Repair; drug effects; Folic acid; Fruit; Fruit - chemistry; Fruits; Gene Expression Regulation; genes; genetics; Humans; Immune response; immunity; Immunity - drug effects; Immunity - genetics; immunocompromised population; Immunoglobulin G; Immunoglobulin G - genetics; Immunoglobulin G - metabolism; intestinal microorganisms; iron; kiwifruit; metabolism; mice; Oxidative stress; pharmacology; Phytochemicals; platelet aggregation; Polyphenols; secretion; selenium; Session 1: Antioxidants and the immune system; Vitamin B; Vitamin C; Vitamins; zinc; United States > US; ZESPRI® GOLD kiwifruit; Immune support; Health benefits of kiwifruit
• ISSN: 0029-6651; 1475-2719; 1475-2719
• DOI: 10.1017/S0029665111000048

Kiwifruit is a good source of several vitamins and minerals and dietary fibre, and contains a number of phytochemicals; so kiwifruit potentially provides health benefits beyond basic nutrition. Consumption of green kiwifruit can have positive effects on cardiovascular health through antioxidant activity, inhibition of platelet aggregation and lowered TAG levels, and gut health through improving laxation, aiding digestion and promoting a healthy gut microflora. The importance of nutrition on immune function is well recognised, with deficiencies in vitamins A, C, E, B6 and B12, folic acid, Zn, Cu, Fe and Se being associated with impaired immune function and increased susceptibility to diseases. Evidence is growing that kiwifruit enhances immunity, with several small murine studies showing enhancement of innate and adaptive immune function. Few studies have examined the effect of kiwifruit on immune function in human subjects, but a recent study has revealed that kiwifruit up-regulates several ‘immune’ and ‘DNA and repair’-related gene sets, and down-regulates one gene set related to Ig secretion. Taken together, the evidence from the literature provides supporting data for designing a human intervention trial to validate the ability of kiwifruit to support immune function in healthy and immunocompromised populations.