Influence of Kiwi Fruit on Immunity and Its Anti-oxidant Effects in Mice

We have been investigating the immunopotentiating activity (biological response modifier (BRM)-like activity) of different fruits and attempting to clarify whether the level of this activity is consistent with the content of vitamins or other major nutrients in these fruit. In this study, we focused on kiwi fruit, which contains vitamin C and polyphenol and has a high BRM-like activity and anti-oxidant activity. We evaluated differences in this activity according to the strain and maturity. To determine the antioxidant effects of oral kiwi fruit intraperitoneal administration, mice were administered kiwi fruit juice. It was found that the BRM-like activity of green kiwi fruit was slightly higher than that of gold kiwi fruit, but the differences were slight between strains and maturity level. After oral administration of kiwi fruit juice to mice, cytokine production increased. The evaluation of urinary oxidative stress markers revealed marked inhibition of in vivo oxidative stress following oral kiwi fruit administration. These results suggest that kiwi fruit intake has beneficial effects on the body, increasing cytokine production and exerting antioxidant effects.