Microencapsulated Vaccinium floribundum Kunth extract promotes endothelial angiogenesis in vitro and attenuates inflammation in vitro and in vivo

Introduction – Natural products, especially polyphenol-rich medicinal plants, are increasingly investigated as multitarget therapeutics in both human and veterinary medicine for angiogenic regenerative properties and for inflammation based-diseases. Recent developments in natural product formulation, notably microencapsulation, have been shown to improve stability, bioavailability, and controlled release of bioactive compounds. The integration of complementary in vitro and in vivo models is critical for evaluating both efficacy and preliminary bioactivity for assessing the translational potential. Methods – In the present study assessed the phytochemical composition and biological activity of a microencapsulated Ecuadorian Vaccinium floribundum extract (VFM), using a combination of in vitro and in vivo approaches. Results and Discussion – VFM chemical characterization identified 17 compounds belonging to different classes, including anthocyaninin, flavonoids, procyanidins, dihydrochalcones, and phenolic acids. Chlorogenic acid and quercetin were the most abundant metabolites, and cyanidine-3-O-galactoside and petunidin-3-O-glucoside were the main anthocyanins detected, confirming a rich bioactive profile. Primary porcine thoracic aortic endothelial cells (pAEC) were treated with VFM to assess cell viability and angiogenic potential and challenged with bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in the presence or absence of the extract. Anti-inflammatory effects were further evaluated in vivo using a carrageenan-induced mouse paw edema model. VFM enhanced endothelial cell viability, promoted capillary-like networks, and modulated early angiogenic signaling pathways; moreover it mitigated LPS-induced endothelial dysfunction by reducing pro-inflammatory markers (cytokines, inducible Nitric Oxide Synthase - iNOS, Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule 1 - VCAM-1). in vivo, paw edema assays demonstrated that VFM exhibited anti-inflammatory activity under the tested conditions. These findings support the traditional use of Vaccinium floribundum and highlight its potential for developing nutraceutical formulations targeting vascular and inflammatory disorders.