Abstract: Objective: This work investigated the anti-fatigue and antioxidant effects of blueberry anthocyanins in mice. Methods: Mice were administrated with low, medium and high doses of blueberry anthocyanins by gavage for 30 days. After that, weight-loaded swimming time, rota-rod endurance time, and the levels of liver glycogen (LG), muscle glycogen (MG), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), blood lactic acid (BLA), serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and liver total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC), total superoxide dismutase (T-SOD), malondialdehyde (MDA), and glutathione peroxide dismutase (GSH-Px). Results: Compared with the blank control group, blueberry anthocyanins at all doses significantly prolonged weight-loaded swimming time and rota-rod endurance time (P < 0.05, P < 0.01), increased LG content (P < 0.05), decreased BLA, BUN and MDA contents (P < 0.05, P < 0.01), and improved the activity of liver T-AOC, T-SOD and GSH-Px in mice (P < 0.05). Blueberry anthocyanins at medium and high doses could noticeably improve LDH activity and MG content in mice (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). Conclusion: Blueberry anthocyanins have good anti-fatigue and anti-oxidant effects in vivo.

Key words: blueberry, anthocyanins, anti-fatigue, antioxidant