Anthocyanin Supplementation and Inflammation: A Systematic Review and Meta‐Analysis of IL‐8, IL‐10, IL‐18, IFN‐γ, and Resistin in Healthy, Overweight, and Obese Populations

TL;DR

This study finds that anthocyanin supplements reduce certain inflammation markers in healthy and overweight people but not others.

Contribution

A systematic review and meta-analysis of anthocyanin's effects on specific inflammatory cytokines in healthy, overweight, and obese populations.

Findings

Anthocyanin supplementation significantly reduced plasma levels of IL-8 and IFN-γ.

No significant changes were observed in IL-10, IL-18, or resistin levels.

Low risk of bias and no evidence of publication bias was found in the included studies.

Abstract

Previous research has demonstrated the anti‐inflammatory effects of anthocyanin supplementation, as evidenced by reduced levels of inflammatory adipokines in obese populations. However, the relationship between anthocyanin intake and obesity‐related adipokines remains unclear in existing research. To investigate this, we hypothesised that anthocyanin supplementation would significantly reduce plasma concentrations of interleukin‐8 (IL‐8), IL‐18, interferon‐gamma (IFN‐γ) and resistin, and significantly increase plasma concentrations of IL‐10 in a healthy, overweight, and obese population. A systematic search of PubMed and Scopus was conducted between September 2024 and November 2024, resulting in 22 eligible studies for inclusion. The standardised mean difference was used to establish the effect size, and I‐squared was used to determine heterogeneity. The risk of bias was assessed using Cochrane's risk of bias assessment tool. An Egger's test and funnel plot were utilised to determine any publication bias. The meta‐analysis data showed that the inclusion of anthocyanins resulted in significant reductions in IL‐8 (p = 0.004) and IFN‐γ (p = 0.02). However, we observed that IL‐10 (p = 0.97), IL‐18 (p = 0.28) and resistin (p = 0.42) did not show a significant effect after anthocyanin consumption. The findings indicate that anthocyanin supplementation can significantly decrease circulating plasma levels of IL‐8 and IFN‐γ in healthy, overweight, and obese populations, but not IL‐10, IL‐18 or resistin levels.

Trial Registration: PROSPERO: CRD420251037683 (https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/view/CRD420251037683).

This study presents a systematic review and meta‐analysis of anthocyanin supplementation (> 40 mg/day) and its effects on inflammatory cytokines in healthy, overweight and obese adults. Literature searches in PubMed and Scopus identified 22 eligible studies (n = 1299). Meta‐analysis showed significant reductions in IL‐8 and IFN‐γ, while IL‐10, IL‐18 and resistin were not significantly affected. Overall risk of bias was low, with no evidence of publication bias.

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