wait...
did you say anti-oxidant??

the last step of this process is called the
ETC =

the electron transport chain

 Anthocyanins 
act as potent antioxidants primarily by neutralizing/reducing free radicals.
Anthocyanins are pigments (blue, purple, red) found in foods like berries, grapes, and red cabbage.
They can do this due to their chemical structure which contains many
(-OH) hydroxyl groups. Anthocyanins can also bind (chelate) metal ions (like iron or copper), preventing them from acting as catalysts for free radical reactions.

ATP, your cell's energy currency, is made via a process called 
​oxidative phosphorylation.
It uses electrons (from the Hydrogen of the food you eat) to pump Hydrogen protons into the intermembrane space.

This creates a gradient that drives ATP synthase using an amazing turbine like enzyme called ATP synthase.
​When all is said and done, the oxygen
you breathe in serves as the final electron acceptor,
combining with the H to form water.
​Let me explain this amazing process...

here's a cartoon of the whole process.
let's look at it and break it down so we get why maintaining mitochondrial health is so important.

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are produced primarily in the mitochondria as natural by-products of aerobic cellular respiration. 
In essence, cellular respiration uses oxygen to generate ATP (energy), but 1–2% of the oxygen consumed is prematurely or incompletely reduced, leading to ROS formation rather than water. 

   ROSs and aging...

ROSs accelerate aging via oxidative stress damaging cells, proteins, and DNA faster than the body can repair them. this disrupts proper
cellular function resulting in collagen breakdown, wrinkles, age spots,
and a functional decline in tissues and organs. 

mitochondria have their own DNA,

called mtDNA. small, circular chromosomes, each encoding 37 genes, are used to produce proteins required for oxidative phosphorylation = ATP production

ATP? what's ATP?

bottom line...

we knew WHAT to do...
and now we know
WHY
​to do it ;)!

                                                     here's how...
   step 1. electrons leak out of the protein complexes embedded in                 the mitochondrial membrane

  step 2. oxygen is reduced to superoxide...the escaped electron                       reacts with molecular oxygen (which is super                                       electronegative), reducing it by one electron

             At low levels, free radicals can function as signaling                                        molecules to regulate cell growth.
          but when electron flow is high or the system is stressed,
  excess radicals are made, causing oxidative stress that damages                                        DNA, proteins, and fats

how do
anti-oxidants 

work? 

aging and mitochondrial
​dysfunction

where does the energy used to make ATP come from?

        how do free radicals induce oxidative stress?

    1. since free radicals are unstable (ROSs contain an unpaired                                  electron) they steal electrons from stable molecules (oxidizing                        them) in cell membranes, proteins, or DNA.

    2. once a molecule loses an electron, it becomes a new free radical,                         causing a domino effect of damage to surrounding molecules

    3. this runaway train leads to damaged cell membranes, loss of protein
            function, and DNA breakage

                                  If there is an imbalance between:
                                      overproduction of free radicals
            (from metabolism or external factors like pollution/smoking)
                     and a shortage of antioxidants to neutralize them,
                             oxidative stress occurs. This leads to:

      1. chronic disease like cancer, neurodegenerative diseases                                       (Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s), and cardiovascular diseases.
      2. aging 
      3. chronic inflammation such as arthritis

    what about exercise and mitochondrial health?

 1. exercise increases the size and number of mitochondria = biogenesis
      by activating signaling pathways that increase cellular energy capacity

 2. exercise increases mitophagy, a sort of mitochondrial quality control,
       by promoting the destruction of damaged/dysfunctional mitochondria,
       ensuring only healthy mitochondria remain.

 3. exercise improves the efficiency of mitochondria and their ability
       to produce ATP energy but still reducing the production of ROSs

how does this relate to organismal aerobic respiration = breathing? 

embedded in the inner membrane of the mitochondria are proteins that make up the
the electron transport chain (ETC) which is the
last stage of aerobic cellular respiration.

   and studies show a correlation betweencalorie restriction and mitochondrial function

Most interesting (to me) is that anthocyanins can also activate endogenous antioxidant enzymes!
WHAT...HOW??

Anthocyanins activate the Nrf2 pathway, boosting the body's production of  enzymes like catalase and glutathione peroxidase which catalyze the
reduction of H2O2 and others. 

mitochondria are double membrane organelles that found in your cells. In high school, you learned they were the
"powerhouses of the cell"! sigh...
These structures are where cellular energy production occurs.
​ Nutrients you eat are converted primarily into a molecule called adenosine triphosphate (ATP) via a process called cellular respiration. 

So what's the problem...?
well, reactive Oxygen Species (ROS), are
unstable, oxygen-containing molecules often called free radicals
that are produced during cellular respiration in our mitochondria.
accumulation of ROSs causes oxidative stress, damages DNA, proteins, and lipids and leads to diseases like cancer and aging.

ATP stores energy that cells can later use. ATP is your cell's currency.

here's the formula for the process of converting food to ATP using a process called 
aerobic cellular respiration...

a formula is just a story about atoms.

antioxidants
are molecules (like vitamins C, E, beta-carotene, and polyphenols) that protect cells from damage caused by free radicals by neutralizing these unstable molecules.
 Antioxidants act as electron donors.
By giving free radicals an electron they breaks the chain reaction.
Let's eat! 
 fruits, vegetables, nuts, certain teas and red wine!
Vitamin C: Oranges, bell peppers, broccoli, strawberries.
Vitamin E: Nuts, seeds, spinach, avocado.
Beta-carotene: Carrots, sweet potatoes, spinach.
Polyphenol/Flavonoids: Berries, green tea, dark chocolate

so molecularly...
Anthocyanin upregulates genes by stimulating transcription factors.
It first forms a complex with specific proteins. Then this complex binds to the promoters of genes, leading to increased enzyme (protein) production.

​Anthocyanins can also modify your epigenome! It inhibit DNMTs (DNA methyltransferases) and alters histones to unlock silenced genes. 

 Anthocyanins activate the Nrf2 pathway, causing it to translocate to the nucleus and bind to the ARE, upregulating antioxidant and detoxification enzymes. Keap1 normally anchors Nrf2 in the cytoplasm to be degraded. but during oxidative stress, the anchor breaks, allowing Nrf2 to translocate into the nucleus, bind to Antioxidant Response Elements (ARE-specialized DNA sequences located in the promoter regions of genes encoding protective enzymes) to activate protective genes. 
​WHOA...COOL!!!

but first...
what are  mitochondria
and why are they soooo important?