AbstractBACKGROUNDBilberries (Vaccinium myrtillus L.) have been suggested to have preventive properties against diseases associated with oxidative stress such as colon cancer or inflammatory bowel diseases. Therefore the gastrointestinal tract is regarded as a potential target for prevention. In this study the antioxidative properties of a commercially available anthocyanin‐rich bilberry extract (BE) were investigated in comparison with four different BE‐loaded microcapsule systems. As markers to describe the antioxidant status in this cellular system, intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, oxidative DNA damage and total glutathione (tGSH) levels were monitored.RESULTSIncubations with the BE‐loaded capsule systems showed an increase in cellular glutathione levels and reduction of ROS levels at high BE concentrations (100–500 µg mL−1) and a positive effect on the formation of DNA strand breaks (5–10 µg mL−1 BE). The biological properties of BE‐loaded pectin amide core‐shell capsules, whey protein matrix capsules and coated apple pectin matrix capsules were comparable to those of the non‐encapsulated BE.CONCLUSIONOverall, the BE and the encapsulated BE types tested have antioxidative activity under the studied assay conditions in terms of the prevention of oxidative DNA damage, the reduction of intracellular ROS and the enhancement of cellular tGSH. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry