Vaccinium corymbosum L. (blueberry) extracts exhibit protective action against cadmium toxicity in Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells

•Vaccinium corymbosum extracts were tested as chemo-protectors against Cd2+.•High anthocyanidin-extracts had protective action against Cd2+ and H2O2 in yeast.•Pure cyanidin also showed protective action against Cd2+ and H2O2.•The extracts and pure cyanidin improved cell viability in the presence of Cd2+.•V. corymbosum extracts and pure cyanidin did not interfere with Cd2+ accumulation. Blueberries (Vaccinium corymbosum L.) are a rich source of antioxidants and their consumption is believed to contribute to food-related protection against oxidative stress. In the present study, the chemoprotective action of blueberry extracts against cadmium toxicity was investigated using a cadmium-hypersensitive strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Four varieties of blueberries were used in the study, and it was found that the extracts with high content of total anthocyanidins exhibited significant protective effect against the toxicity of cadmium and H2O2. Both the blueberry extracts and pure cyanidin exhibited protective effects against cadmium in a dose-dependent manner, but without significantly interfering with the cadmium accumulation by the yeast cells. The results imply that the blueberry extracts might be a potentially valuable food supplement for individuals exposed to high cadmium.