Background With aging population, the prevalence of neurodegenerative diseases, particularly Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Parkinson's disease (PD), is on the rise. Numerous studies have found that blueberries, rich in polyphenols, have promising neuroprotective effects, but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Objective This review summarizes the neuroprotective mechanisms and potential effects of blueberry polyphenols in AD and PD based on in vitro , in vivo , preclinical, and clinical studies. Key findings Blueberries exert multi-targeted effects by reducing oxidative stress (activation of the Nrf2/MAPK pathway), suppressing neuroinflammation (inhibiting microglial activity), and enhancing neuroplasticity (upregulation of the ERK/CREB/BDNF pathway). In preclinical studies, these mechanisms reduce Aβ deposition and tau tangles in AD models and protect dopaminergic neurons in PD models. Limited clinical trials have found that blueberry supplementation can improve executive function, memory, and processing speed in older adults with cognitive decline. Conclusion Blueberries show potential as an early dietary intervention strategy for AD and PD. However, current clinical trials lack sufficient understanding of the bioavailability of blueberry's active components, interindividual metabolic differences, and specific targets of action. Future research should include larger-scale, long-term early intervention trials.
Timing and management after harvest are optimized when the maturity stage is known. This paper provides an in-depth review of common destructive and nondestructive methods used for evaluating berry maturity. Destructive methods such as total soluble solids (TSS), acidity, firmness, phenolic compounds, amino acids, aromatic compounds, sensory characteristics, and molecular profiling offer precise measurements. Nonetheless, these methods require sample preparation, which damages the fruit and is often impractical for large-scale monitoring. Conversely, we explore advanced nondestructive methods such as near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS), hyperspectral imaging (HSI), red-green-blue (RGB) color imaging, and multispectral imaging (MSI), which enable rapid evaluation without compromising fruit integrity. Most of these methods are investigated in strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, gooseberries, and blackberries. However, emerging haskap berries remain unexplored despite their growing commercial importance, for which an overview and current maturity indicators have been discussed to enhance their assessment efficiency.
Given the growing interest in functional foods, blueberry fermentation with probiotics is being explored as a method to enhance the health benefits associated with blueberries. This systematic review investigates the modulatory effects of blueberry fermentation on probiotic growth dynamics and metabolism. In accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, a comprehensive literature search was conducted across multiple databases, identifying forty-three relevant studies published up to August 2025. The studies were primarily in vitro experiments, and the findings indicate that blueberry fermentation significantly enhances the growth and viability of various probiotic strains. The fermentation processes not only promoted probiotic proliferation but also enhanced the bioavailability of phenolic compounds, including protocatechuic acid, gallic acid, catechol, and syringic acid, thereby improving antioxidant activity. Notably, different probiotic strains exhibited distinct growth responses depending on their metabolic capabilities and the specific blueberry components utilised, such as malvidin-3- O -glucoside, cyanidin-3- O -glucoside, rutin, glycosylated phenolic compounds, glucose, fructose and tannins . During fermentation, these substrates were metabolized to produce organic acids, including lactic, acetic, and citric acids, as well as short-chain fatty acids such as acetate, propionate, and butyrate. The antioxidant activity of blueberries was further enhanced through fermentation, primarily due to the biotransformation of polyphenols such as gallic acid, protocatechuic acid, and catechol into metabolites with greater antioxidant potential. Overall, the fermentation of blueberries with probiotics represents a promising strategy for developing functional foods aimed at promoting gut health and improving overall human well-being.
Remineralizers are inputs of mineral origin that can supply nutrients, improve fruit quality, and increase the productive potential of strawberry plants. In this study, our objective was tested the use of substrate manufactured with the remineralizer olivine melilitite associated with bacteria of the genus Bacillus spp. in hydroponic strawberry cultivation. We evaluated the nutritional status of the plants, the phytochemical characteristics of the strawberries, and the productivity of the plants. The remineralizer associated with Bacillus spp. led to higher levels of P (74.50 mg mg(-)(1)), K (8.21 g kg(-)(1)), Ca (35.06 mg kg(-)(1)), Mn (5.00 mg kg(-)(1)), Fe (4.81 mg kg(-)(1)), and Si (6.81 g kg(-)(1)) in the strawberry plants and fruits. The highest productivity was observed with the use of the remineralizer associated with Bacillus spp. (730.15 g plant(-)(1)), a result strongly correlated with the increase in P (R-2=0.78), K (R-2=0.88), and Si (R-2=0.93) levels in the plants. Furthermore, the combined use of the remineralizer and Bacillus spp. resulted in strawberries with higher sugar content (7.30%), phenolic compounds (40.85 mg 100 g(-)(1)), and vitamin C (35.89 mg 100 g(-)(1)). We conclude that the olivine melilitite remineralizer and inoculation improve the nutritional status of the plants, increase strawberry productivity, and enhance the phytochemical characteristics of the strawberries.
Cerasus humilis (Bge.) Sok. fruits have high proanthocyanidin (PA) content. We aimed to identify and perform preliminary functional evaluations of four candidate transport-related genes to investigate their roles in PA accumulation. We analyzed the gene expression patterns, determined the subcellular localization of associated proteins, conducted phylogenetic analyses to examine their evolutionary orthologs, evaluated their roles in PA accumulation through overexpression assays, and performed molecular docking simulations to analyze binding between these candidate transporters and the specific PA monomers catechin and epicatechin. Together, ChGST2 , ChMATE1 , and ChMATE2 expression levels were correlated with PA accumulation; ChGST1 and ChGST2 were localized in the cytoplasm and nucleus; ChMATE1 and ChMATE2 were localized in the vacuolar membrane (tonoplast). Phylogenetic analyses confirmed that ChGST1/2 and ChMATE1/2 are true orthologs of well-characterized plant PA transporters. Furthermore, overexpression of ChGST2 , ChMATE1 , and ChMATE2 enhanced PA accumulation, indicating ChGST2 and ChMATE1/2 play roles in the PA accumulation pathway in C. humilis . Our findings implied GSTs and MATE genes might be important for the nutritional value of berries via enhancing the PA accumulation.
A & ccedil;ai (Euterpe oleracea Mart.) is rich in phenolic compounds, especially anthocyanins, which are a source of the natural pigments used in the food industry as a replacement for chemical dyes. This study aimed to optimize the solid-liquid extraction of anthocyanins with effective antioxidant activity from a & ccedil;ai and to microencapsulate the resulting pigment extract by extrusion. A central composite design was applied to evaluate the effects of extraction temperature (9.8-60.2 degrees C), acidified ethanol concentration (13-97% v/v) and fresh fruit:solvent ratio (1:1-1:6 g fresh fruit:mL solvent) on total anthocyanin content. A second experimental design was used to study the effects of the alginate:gelatin ratio and the anthocyanin concentration in the feed solution on encapsulation efficiency and particle size. Extraction carried out under optimal conditions of 60.2 degrees C, 97% v/v for acidified ethanol and 6.0 mL solvent/g fresh fruit, yielded 124.3 mg cyanidin-3-glucoside equivalents (C3GE)/100 g fruit and an extract with 88% antioxidant activity and 1163 & micro;mol Trolox equivalents/100 g fresh fruit. Microcapsules showed an encapsulation efficiency of 99.6% and a D50 of 1378 & micro;m at an alginate:gelatin ratio of 82.8:17.2 and 33.5 mg/L of provided anthocyanins in the feed solution. Experimental tests validated the optimization data. The optimized process thus provides a simple and low-cost route to obtain anthocyanin-rich a & ccedil;ai pigments suitable for application as natural dyes in food and nutraceutical products.
Background: Fruit quality in sour cherry (Prunus cerasus L.) is influenced by genetic factors and cultural practices, but the specific impact of rootstocks and harvest season on key fruit traits is underexplored. Objective: This study aimed to assess how rootstocks and harvest seasons affects main physical and chemical properties of sour cherry fruits. Methods: Large fruited '& Scaron;umadinka' sour cherry grafted on eight Prunus rootstocks was evaluated. Fruit traits were compared. Data were analyzed using ANOVA, Pearson's correlations and principal component analysis (PCA). Results: Rootstocks, harvest seasons and their interaction significantly affected all examined traits. Gisela 6 promoted the highest values of most physical properties, followed by Adara which also induced the highest antioxidant activity (ABTS) and dry matter content. Myrobalan induced the highest phenolic and flavonoid contents. Regarding harvest season, the highest dry matter content, soluble solids, ripening index and pH values were observed in 2019, whereas the highest titratable acidity, anthocyanins and ABTS values were registered in 2020. Conclusions: These findings contribute to a better understanding of effects of rootstocks and weather conditions on fruit quality and provide valuable guidance for orchard management aimed at optimizing external and internal fruit quality of sour cherry.
Blueberry fruits were located in full shade (complete darkness), partial shade (16% full sun) and light exposed (100% full sun) conditions. An inversely proportional relationship between the growth rate of the fruit and its relative water content was clear in fully shaded fruits, with an increase in the shaded fruits transpiration rate during ripening having been recorded. The pedicels of light-exposed fruits showed greater development of phloem tissue than those of fully shaded fruits. The structure of the stomata was modified in the fully shaded fruits, with a decrease in the size of the subsidiary cells. The epidermis of exposed and partially shaded fruits presented a profuse layer of epicuticular wax at maturity, which was almost absent in fully shaded fruits. Throughout blueberry fruit development, the deficiency of solar radiation induced anatomical changes that, in turn, affected water economy.
The intensifying demand for sustainable and space-efficient horticultural systems has spotlighted hydroponic based vertical farming as a transformative solution for high-value crops such as strawberry (Fragaria & times; ananassa). This study evaluates the influence of diverse nutrient treatments on strawberry cultivars cultivated under a closed-loop Nutrient Film Technique (NFT)-based vertical hydroponic system during November 2023 to February 2024 at Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University, Lucknow. The experiment was conducted using a completely randomized design in a 2 & times; 6 factorial arrangement, comprising the cultivars 'Sweet Charlie' and 'Winter Dawn', and six nutrient treatments i.e., control, organic inputs (jeevamrit 10%; homa ash 400 ppm), nano-based formulations (nano urea 2%; nano zinc 25 ppm), and Hoagland nutrient (4%), with three replications per treatment. Vegetative and reproductive growth as well as fruit quality attributes were systematically recorded to evaluate plant performance. Among all combinations, 'Winter Dawn' treated with homa ash (400 ppm) had the highest fruit yield (329.81 g plant(-1)), and was found to be significantly superior to other treatments. The enhanced efficacy of homa ash might be attributed to its bioactive nanoscale mineral composition which facilitates improved nutrient bioavailability and assimilation contributing substantially to the improved plant performance. These findings substantiate the potential of integrating traditional bio-organic amendments with advanced vertical hydroponic systems to optimize resource use efficiency and crop productivity.
The objective of this study was to evaluate the vegetative and productive characteristics of raspberry plants, as well as the bioactive compounds and cytotoxic potential of fruits from the “Heritage”, “Autumn Bliss”, and “Fallgold” cultivars. The experiment used a strip plot design with eight replicates per cultivar treatment (“Heritage”, “Fallgold”, and “Autumn Bliss”). Vegetative and productive traits were assessed, along with the fruits’ phytochemical characteristics. Cell viability and oxidative parameters were also determined using raspberry extracts. All cultivars adapted to the climatic conditions of Western SC; however, “Fallgold” showed the lowest productive potential. Regarding fruit composition, “Autumn Bliss” and “Fallgold” presented the highest total sugars and soluble solids, while “Heritage” showed higher vitamin C and phenolic compounds. Overall, the local climate supports raspberry cultivation: “Autumn Bliss” and “Fallgold” have greater potential for fresh consumption, whereas “Heritage” offers higher antioxidant potential.
Given the recent water scarcity crisis in Iran and worldwide, the implementation of management practices such as Partial Root-zone Drying (PRD) is essential to optimize water consumption in the agricultural sector. To investigate the effect of PRD on yield, fruit quality, and water use efficiency (WUE), a study was conducted over two consecutive years (2023-2024) on 8-year-old grapevines in a trellis vineyard located in Malayer (Hamedan province, Iran). A randomized complete block design was used with two irrigation regimes (Control; irrigating both sides and PRD; alternately irrigating one side of the vine at each time)& times;five commercial cultivars ('Bidaneh Sefid', 'Shahani Peykani', 'Rasha', 'Askari', and 'Fakhri'). The results showed that PRD significantly increased leaf abscisic acid concentration (38.1-77.8%) and water use efficiency (40.2-92.1%), and significantly decreased berry length (7.9-12.6%), berry diameter (6.6-11.5%), titratable acidity (6.2-10.4%), berry sugar content (5.6-12%), vegetative growth (11.3-28%), chlorophyll index (6.9-36.9%), leaf relative water content (6.6-8.6%), midday leaf water potential (5.5-6.8%), berry weight (3.8-27%), cluster weight (7.9-21.9%), vine yield (7.3-29.9%) and yield index (3.9-29.8%) compared to the control. PRD irrigation achieved a 50% reduction in water use while the highest yield reduction (in 'Askari' cultivar) was 29.9%, demonstrating a substantial water-saving potential with a variable yield cost that was cultivar-specific. Therefore, considering the improvement in WUE (40.2-92.1%), applying deficit irrigation by the PRD method is recommended as a water-saving strategy for vineyards, with cultivar selection being a critical factor for success.
Background: Goji berry (Lycium barbarum L.) is a functional food rich in phenolic antioxidants and bioactive compounds. Despite global importance, little is known about the adaptability, nutrient content, and biological activities of goji berry lines cultivated under different ecological conditions in T & uuml;rkiye. Objective: This study aimed to assess the adaptability of three goji berry lines (Salk & imath;m Han & imath;m, Tay, and NQ7) in Sivas, Yozgat, and Tokat regions. Furthermore, the aim also was to evaluate the phenolic composition, enzyme activities, nutrient content, antioxidant capacity, protein interactions, and pharmacokinetic behavior of their bioactive compounds. Methods: A randomized complete block design with four replicates was employed. Ethanol extracts from leaves and fruits were analyzed for phenolics, nutrient elements, antioxidant activity, and chemical composition, with phenolic compounds identified by High-Pressure Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). Enzyme activities including catalase, ascorbate peroxidase, peroxidase, and protein content were measured. LC-MS/MS identified chlorogenic acid isomer and rutin as dominant compounds in year one, with caffeic acid derivatives also appearing in year two. In silico analyses included docking studies with protein targets (1CB4, 1HD2, 4Z8D) and ADME/T estimations. Results: The three lines showed high antioxidant activity, with leaves containing higher nutrient content than fruits. Phenolic analyses highlighted chlorogenic acid isomer, rutin, and caffeic acid derivatives as major compounds. Enzyme assays showed positive correlations between catalase, ascorbate peroxidase, and protein content. Docking studies confirmed strong interactions of bioactives with protein targets, while ADME/T analyses indicated promising pharmacokinetic stability. Conclusions: The Tay, Salk & imath;m Han & imath;m, and NQ7 lines adapted successfully to the studied regions, showing strong antioxidant potential. The richness of phenolics, especially in leaves, underscores their value for functional food and pharmaceutical applications. Molecular docking and ADME/T findings further confirm their therapeutic potential as candidates for drug development.
Background Drought and salinity are major abiotic constraints in strawberry production, adversely affecting plant growth, photosynthesis, and cellular stability. Melatonin has emerged as a promising biostimulant due to its role in regulating stress responses and antioxidant defense mechanisms in plants.Objective This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of foliar melatonin application in mitigating the effects of individual and combined drought and salinity stress in strawberry (Fragaria & times; ananassa Duch. cv. 'Albion').Method The experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design. Strawberry plants were exposed to salinity stress (35 mM NaCl), drought stress (40% reduced irrigation), or their combination. Melatonin was applied foliarly at 50 & micro;M under stress conditions. Growth parameters, chlorophyll content, membrane permeability, oxidative stress indicators, proline content, and antioxidant enzyme activities were evaluated.Results Under drought stress, melatonin-treated plants exhibited significant improvements in leaf number (5.7%), fresh weight (4.2%), and chlorophyll content (11.2% SPAD increase) compared to untreated plants. Melatonin significantly reduced malondialdehyde (MDA) accumulation by 24.4% under drought (9.31 vs. 12.31 nmol g-1 FW) and by 18.6% under salinity stress (8.49 vs. 10.43 nmol g-1 FW). Furthermore, melatonin enhanced antioxidant defense, with superoxide dismutase (SOD) and peroxidase (POD) activities increasing by 28.1% and 12.7%, respectively, under drought stress compared to non-melatonin drought-stressed plants. In contrast, under combined drought and salinity stress, melatonin showed limited effectiveness; although it supported survival, the plants displayed reduced growth performance and a significant increase in membrane permeability (reaching 21.13%), suggesting a physiological threshold under multifaceted stress.Conclusions Foliar melatonin application effectively improves strawberry tolerance to individual drought or salinity stress by enhancing growth performance and antioxidant capacity, whereas its protective effect is markedly reduced under combined stress conditions. These findings suggest that while melatonin is a sustainable strategy for single-stress mitigation, its efficacy is constrained under the synergistic pressure of the abiotic stress matrix.
Grape leaf disease poses a significant threat to crop yield and quality, demanding accurate and early detection for effective management. However, existing detection techniques face challenges such as overlapping color intensities, inconsistent lighting, excessive noise from preprocessing, and weak lesion boundary localization, all of which hinder classification performance. To overcome these limitations, this research proposes a deep learning framework, Gamma-snake Transformer Network (GST-Net), tailored for robust grape leaf disease detection. Unlike conventional approaches, the proposed framework integrates illumination-aware preprocessing, hybrid segmentation, and transformer-based feature learning to enhance disease discriminability under challenging environmental conditions. The model introduces a multi-stage pipeline where Gamma-Retinex Guided Filtering enhances image quality by correcting illumination artifacts and preserving structural edges. A GrabCut-Snake segmentation mechanism accurately isolates lesion regions by combining coarse initialization and refined contour evolution. Disease features are extracted using Vision Transformers (ViT), leveraging self-attention to capture subtle texture and color variations effectively. For classification, the system employs a hybrid approach: a fully connected Softmax classifier for known diseases, a Siamese Network for few-shot detection of novel classes, and a One-Class SVM to further validate unfamiliar patterns. Evaluated on a 4-class grape leaf dataset comprising 4062 images using an 80:20 train-test split and 5-fold cross-validation, the proposed GST-Net achieved an accuracy of 99.88%, precision of 99.89%, recall of 99.89%, F1-score of 99.89%, and specificity of 99.96%. Additionally, the model achieved an accuracy of 96.85%, precision of 95.90%, recall of 96.40%, and F1-score of 96.14% in detecting unseen disease classes, demonstrating its capability to identify unfamiliar disease patterns.
White strawberries are high-value agricultural products whose ripeness identification poses a notable challenge for robotic harvesting. This study first evaluated YOLOv5 and YOLOv12 for vision-based ripeness detection, using conventional strawberries as a control group. Results showed that both algorithms yielded substantially lower mAP scores on white strawberries than on conventional ones, with a maximum of only 68.20%, confirming the inadequacy of current image-based approaches. To overcome this limitation, industrial-grade infrared cameras were employed to acquire infrared images and gray-scale intensity curves from six groups of white and conventional strawberries under laboratory and field conditions. Validation through peak-contrast gray-scale analysis, least-squares Gaussian fitting, linear discriminant analysis, and principal component analysis demonstrated that the infrared gray-scale curve method reliably differentiated ripeness stages for both strawberry types, outperforming conventional visual recognition. These findings provide a practical basis for automated harvesting and ripeness assessment systems.
Addressing two key challenges in northern solar greenhouse strawberry production-weak seedling root function and uneven growth from greenhouse spatial heterogeneity-this study examined regulatory effects of inoculating strawberry seedlings with varying arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) concentrations and transplanting them to south, middle, north greenhouse locations. Results showed that: (1) AMF inoculation, particularly the high-concentration treatment (AMF-1440), significantly enhanced root activity and root weight, with maximum increases of 171.4% and 58.2%, respectively; (2) Significant spatial heterogeneity existed within the greenhouse, with plants in the northern position exhibiting superior root traits, SPAD values, fruit weight per fruit, and marketable yield compared to those in the southern position; (3) The yield-enhancing effect of AMF was spatially dependent, showing a higher increase rate in fruit weight per fruit in the northern position (23.9%) than in the southern position (16.6%); (4) Path analysis indicated that AMF drives yield formation through the pathway of "enhancing root activity -maintaining leaf photosynthetic capacity (SPAD)-increasing fruit weight per fruit." This study demonstrates that AMF inoculation acts as a potential biological measure for enhancing strawberry root function and improving marketable yield, while its efficacy is constrained by low-temperature induced spatial heterogeneity within the greenhouse. A tentative approach for achieving relatively balanced yield increases in the tested system involves combining AMF application with zonal environmental management of solar greenhouses.
Interspecific hybridization is an effective approach for creating novel Rubus germplasms, but early hybrid authentication is difficult when parental genetic backgrounds are complex and ploidy levels differ. In this study, we evaluated the F1 progeny derived from a cross between the hexaploid primocane-fruiting blackberry cultivar 'Freedom' (female parent) and the diploid Rubus hirsutus male parents via seven SSR primers. To account for parentage effects, hybrid identification was summarized by cross combination: Freedom & times; R-1/2 (n = 5), Freedom & times; R-3 (n = 35), and Freedom & times; R-4 (n = 41). Across all crosses, 62 seedlings (3 + 27 + 32) were authenticated as true hybrids (76.5%). Flow cytometry profiles of two vigorous F1 individuals revealed that the nuclear DNA fluorescence peak positions were intermediate between those of the diploid male parent and the hexaploid 'Freedom', which was consistent with a tetraploid level. From the authenticated hybrids, 26 vigorous seedlings were selected for phenotypic and physiological evaluation. Considerable variation was observed among the selected hybrids in terms of plant height, SPAD, total nitrogen content, and antioxidant-related traits (CAT, SOD, GSH, VC, TP, and TF). SSR-based diversity analysis revealed moderate polymorphism (18 polymorphic bands; expected heterozygosity 0.27-0.64, mean 0.44; Nei's genetic diversity 0.26-0.64). These results provide SSR marker references for early hybrid authentication in wide Rubus crosses and support subsequent selection of promising interspecific hybrid germplasms.
The soilless culture technique, widely used for vegetables and ornamentals, has also proven advantageous for grapevine cultivation under protected conditions. This study investigated the effects of foliar applications of different organic compounds diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA), ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), amino acids, humic acid, and fulvic acid on yield, fruit quality, and plant nutrition in soilless table grape production under greenhouse conditions in & Ccedil;ukurova, a warm Mediterranean region in 2021 and 2022 years. Four-year-old cv. Black Magic (Vitis vinifera L.) grapevines were grown under plastic cover in a pumice:cocopeat (1:1, v/v) substrate and irrigated with modified Hoagland nutrient solution. Organic substances were applied foliar at a concentration of 0.2% at three phenological stages (pre-flowering, fruit set, and veraison). The application concentration and phenological timing were chosen to coincide with critical stages of grapevine development and to maximize foliar uptake efficiency without inducing phytotoxicity. Control vines were sprayed with water only. Humic acid application increased yield by approximately 10-18% compared to the control in two growing seasons and also improved cluster weight, length, and size. Based on mean values, humic acid application increased berry weight by approximately 3-7% compared to the control across the two growing seasons. Significant treatment effects on must quality were observed mainly in the first growing season, in which amino acid and humic acid applications improved total soluble solids and maturity index compared to the control. Humic and fulvic acids enhanced leaf macro and micro nutrient concentrations by 15-35%, several nutrients into sufficient range during veraison. Humic acid and EDTA increased stomatal length by up to 45% and reduced stomatal density by approximately 15% compared to the control. Humic acid increased ascorbic acid content by approximately 150-170% and enhanced DPPH antioxidant activity by up to 8%. Fulvic acid increased total phenolic content by approximately 10-20% compared to the control.
Background Black chokeberry (& times;Sorbaronia fallax nothosubsp. mitschurinii; syn. Aronia melanocarpa) is valued for its agronomic resilience and exceptional biochemical profile, rich in phenolics and antioxidants. Cultivar selection based on a comprehensive evaluation of morphological, pomological, and biochemical traits is crucial for optimizing production and nutraceutical applications. However, integrated assessments combining these traits with adapted International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV) descriptors under Mediterranean conditions remain limited.Results Significant phenotypic and biochemical diversity was observed among the three cultivars ('Galicjanka', 'Nero', 'Viking'). 'Viking' exhibited superior fruit weight (1.28 g), soluble solid content (23.03 degrees Brix), total phenolic content (6360.79 mg gallic acid equivalents (GAE) 100 g-1 fresh weight (FW)), total antioxidant capacity (76.44% radical scavenging activity), and total anthocyanin content (1168.39 mg cyanidin-3-glucoside equivalents (CGE) 100 g-1 FW). 'Galicjanka' and 'Viking' demonstrated stronger vegetative vigor, denser canopy architecture, and higher yield. Multivariate analyses revealed strong correlations, particularly between total phenolic content and antioxidant capacity (r = 1.00), and principal component analysis (PCA) identified three major components explaining 65.70% of total variance, integrating vegetative vigor, fruit quality, and biochemical composition.Conclusions This study provides a comprehensive characterization of black chokeberry cultivars using adapted UPOV descriptors, highlighting 'Viking' as ideal for nutraceutical use and 'Galicjanka' for high-yield systems. The findings establish a foundational resource for breeding, germplasm conservation, and cultivar-specific cultivation strategies in Mediterranean climates.
Background Tropical mountain blackberry, widely consumed in Costa Rica, is rich in ellagitannins (ETs) such as ellagic acid (EA), which are metabolized by the intestinal microbiota into urolithins after ingestion. Objective This study aimed to characterize the urinary excretion kinetics of urolithins in healthy Costa Rican volunteers following the intake of a blackberry-based drink, thereby contributing to the biopharmaceutical understanding of these compounds. Methods Fifteen healthy non-smoking male volunteers (aged 18-35 years) consumed 500 ml of water and, on a separate day, 500 ml of a blackberry-based drink (33.3%) at breakfast. Urine samples were collected at 0-6 h, 6-12 h, and 12-24 h intervals and analyzed using Ultra-Performance Liquid Chromatography coupled to Mass Spectrometry (UPLC/ESI-Q-TOF-MS). Targeted metabolomic analysis was performed to detect urolithins and related metabolites. Participants were classified according to urolithin production capacity (metabotypes A/B). All volunteers produced either one or both urolithins. Results In the first 6 h, significant differences in metabolomic profiles were observed, although not attributable to urolithins; instead, a presumed decrease in glucuronidated hydroxyprogesterone (HPG) and tetrahydroxycortisone (THC) metabolites was identified. Between 6-12 h, urolithins A (UA) and C (UC) were identified as the main contributors to group differences. In the 12-24 h fraction, increased excretion of UA, UC, and urolithin B (UB) was observed. Quantitatively, UA was detected in 73% of participants, UC in 60%, and UB in 47%. Conclusions The observed reduction in metabolites putatively identified as HPG and THC may indicate, though not confirm, potential hypolipidemic or hormone-related anticancer effects of ET-rich foods. The delayed appearance of UA and UC (6-12 h) could reflect slower gastric emptying and intestinal transit, while the presence of UB up to 24 h may indicate enterohepatic recirculation of UA conjugates. These findings provide new evidence on the metabolic fate of blackberry-derived ETs, highlight plausible biomarkers of consumption, and support the functional potential of berry-based foods in human health.
