Vaccinium myrtillus

ÖZET Bu çalışmada, Balıkesir-Kazdağları Milli Parkı sınırları içinde, doğal olarak yayılış gösteren çoban üzümü (Vaccinium myrtillus L.)'nün meyve ve tohum özellikleri ile meyve ve yapraklarının ekstraksiyonu için uygun çözücünün saptanması ve ekstrelerin antioksidan kapasitelerinin belirlenmesi amaçlanmaktadır. Antioksidan madde içeriği yüksek olan Vaccinium L. cinsinin meyve ve yaprakları tıp, eczacılık ve gıda sanayisi gibi birçok alanda kullanılmaktadır. Ayrıca çoban üzümü insan beslenmesi açısından da önemli bir meyve türüdür. Ülkemizde bu tür üzerinde yapılan çalışmalar yetersiz düzeyde bulunduğundan, bu doğal bitki kaynağına yönelik araştırmalar önem kazanmaktadır. Çalışma için Kazdağları Milli Parkı sınırları içerisinde, 1470 m rakımından yaprak, meyve ve tohum örnekleri alınmıştır. Alınan örneklerde; yaprak uzunluğu ve genişliği, meyve uzunluğu ve genişliği, meyve ağırlığı, çekirdek sayısı, 1000 dane ağırlığı, tohum verimi, meyvede kuru madde ve kül miktarı gibi özellikler tespit edilmiştir. Meyve ve yapraklar etil asetat, etanol, su gibi farklı polaritede çözücülerle ekstrakte edilmiş olup ekstrelerin antioksidan kapasitesitelerini belirlemek amacı ile toplam fenol içeriği, DPPH radikal süpürme aktivitesi ve β-karotenin oksidasyonunu geciktirme potansiyeli tayin edilmiştir. Ayrıca alandan alınan toprak örneklerinde, bazı fiziksel ve kimyasal analizler yapılmıştır. Yapılan değerlendirmeler sonucunda, yaprak uzunluğu: 11-26 mm; yaprak genişliği: 5-18 mm; meyve uzunluğu: 5-10 mm; meyve genişliği: 5-9 mm; meyve taze ağırlığı (10 adet) 3,3-4,6 g; çekirdek (tohum) sayısı 18-83 adet, tohum ağırlığı (100 adet meyvenin) 0,51 g ve 1000 dane ağırlığı 0,36 g olarak belirlenmiştir. Farklı polaritede çözücülerle yapılan ekstraksiyonlarda, çözme gücü açısından etanol en uygun çözücü olarak saptanmış olup yaprakların ve meyvelerin toplam fenol içerikleri (138,53; 47,05 mgGAE/g), radikal süpürme aktiviteleri ve yağ/su emülsiyon modelinde oksidasyonu geciktirme kapasiteleri sanayide değerlendirilme potansiyelinin olduğunu göstermektedir. Anahtar kelimeler: Çoban üzümü, Vaccinium myrtillus L., Kazdağları, tohum, meyve, ekstraksiyon, toplam fenol, radikal süpürme aktivitesi, β-karoten linoleat modeli Some Fruit And Seed Characteristics Of Bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus L.) from Kaz Mountains (Mount İda) National Park ABSTRACT This study aims to determine the berry and seed characteristics of bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus L.) collected from Balıkesir-Kaz Mountains, National Park. Furthermore suitable solvents for the berry and leaf extraction and antioxidant capacities of the extracts were investigated. The berries and leaves of bilberry which have high antioxidant activity are used in some industries such as medicine, pharmacy and food. In addition, bilberry is an important fruit in human nutrition. The results of this study could be of high importance in terms of presenting valuable insights regarding the bilberry specie showing a natural distribution in Turkey. In this study, leaf, berry and seed samples from Kaz Mountains National Park (~1470 m) were collected. Leaf length and width, berry length and width, berry weight, seed number, 1000 seed weight, seed weight per berry, berry dry material and berry ash amount were measured. Subsequently, berries and leaves were sonicated with solvents having different polarities and total phenol contents

Bioactive molecules in berries may be helpful in reducing the risk of oral diseases. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of bilberry consumption on the outcome of a routine dental clinical parameter of inflammation, bleeding on probing (BOP), as well as the impact on selected biomarkers of inflammation, such as cytokines, in gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) in individuals with gingivitis. Study individuals who did not receive standard of care treatment were allocated to either a placebo group or to groups that consumed either 250 or 500 g bilberries daily over seven days. The placebo group consumed an inactive product (starch). A study group, receiving standard of care (debridement only) was also included to provide a reference to standard of care treatment outcome. Cytokine levels were assayed using the Luminex MagPix system. The mean reduction in BOP before and after consumption of test product over 1 week was 41% and 59% in the groups that consumed either 250 or 500 ...

13C CPMAS NMR spectra of dietary fiber powders from aronia (chokeberry), bilberry, black currant and apple were recorded. The spectra are complex owing to superposition of resonances from different polysaccharides and polyphenolic compounds. Standard, dipolar dephased and the T1ρH partially relaxed spectra enabled the identification of several constituents: microcrystalline cellulose, pectins, lignins, cutin-like polymers and condensed tannins. The fiber powders obtained from berries contain significant amounts of anthocyanins, as indicated by their dark violet color, but not verified by chemical shifts. The anthocyanin-rich extract from aronia berries and its major components, cyanidin-3-O-galactoside and (-)epicatechin were also studied.

(1) The study of morphological and physiological responses of shrubs to climate is crucial in the understanding of future scenarios regarding climate change. In this light, studying shrub growth and physiological acclimation along elevation gradient might be insightful. Phenolic metabolic pathway represents a powerful tool to interpret such processes.

(2) In the South‐Eastern Alps, we investigated the relationships between elevation, plant traits (i.e. age, xylem ring width, annual shoot length), plant‐plant interaction (i.e. shrub cover) and flavonoids in Vaccinium myrtillus L. (leaves, berries) in stands above the treeline. The relationships were parsed within causal networks by using a confirmatory path analysis.

(3) Elevation was the main driver of V. myrtillus growth, showing to play both direct and indirect effects on the leaf flavonoid content, but this was not evident for berries. In particular, the content of foliar flavonoids showed a peak at mid‐elevation and where the growth of xylem ring was intermediate, while it decreased in stands with higher shoot length. Flavonoid content variability of both leaves and berries was affected by elevation and shoot length. In berries, flavonoid variability was further related to all growth traits and shrub cover.

(4) These findings evidence that flavonoid content are influenced by both elevation and growth traits of V. myrtillus often showing not linear relationships. These results suggest a trait‐mediated response of plant to climatic conditions, as result of trade‐offs between plant growth, plant defense, environmental stress, and nutrient/resource availability.

We have systematically reviewed placebo-controlled trials of V. myrtillus-extracted anthocyanosides for evidence of positive effects on night vision. Searches of computerized databases and citations in retrieved articles identified 30 trials with outcome measures relevant to vision in ...

As a part of the ongoing interest in nutritional and nutraceutical properties of locally produced fruits, the aim of the article was to determine sugars, organic acids, polyphenols and antioxidant capacity of wild bilberries grown in Slovenia. Primary and secondary metabolite composition of bilberry fruit was compared among six phyto-climatic conditions, differing in photosynthetic active radiation and light intensity. Three sugars were quantified in bilberry fruit, the predominant being fructose and glucose, along with five organic acids. Bilberry fruit contained high levels of anthocyanins (cyanidin, delphinidin, malvidin, petunidin and peonidin glycosides), hydroxycinnamic acid derivatives and low levels of flavonol glycosides (mainly quercetin and myricetin glycosides), flavan-3-ols, proanthocyanidins and iridoids. The results of the study indicate that bilberries growing in sites with high photosynthetic active radiation (PAR) contained higher levels of total sugars, anthocyanins, flavonols and hydroxycinnamic acids and lower levels of organic acids compared with bilberry fruit from low-light locations. Consequently, total phenolic content and antioxidative capacity of the fruit from high-PAR locations were significantly increased. Bilberries from different natural habitats differ significantly in the quantity of sugars, organic acids and phenolic compounds. Our results contribute to a fuller understanding of the relationships between environmental factors and accumulation of primary and secondary metabolites in bilberry fruits.

Doxorubicin (DOX) is a commonly used chemotherapeutic agent. It is associated with serious dose-limiting cardiotoxicity, which is at least partly caused by generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Supplementations with bilberries were effective in reducing oxidative stress in many tissue injuries due their high content of antioxidants. The present study investigated the potential protective effect of bilberry extract against DOX-induced cardiotoxicity in rats. Rats were treated orally with a methanolic extract of bilberry for 10 days. DOX was injected intraperitoneally on day 7. Twenty-four hours after the last bilberry administration, rats were subjected to ECG study. Blood was then withdrawn and cardiac tissues were dissected for assessment of oxidative stress and cardiac tissue injury. Cardiac tissues were also subjected to histopathological examination. Bilberry extract significantly inhibited DOX-provoked reduced glutathione depletion and accumulation of oxidized glutathione, malondialdehyde and protein carbonyls in cardiac tissues. This was accompanied by significant amelioration of reduced cardiac catalase, superoxide dismutase, and glutathione peroxidase activities; and increased cardiac myeloperoxidase activity in response to DOX challenge. Pretreatment with bilberry significantly guarded against DOX-induced increase in serum activities of lactate dehydrogenase, creatine phosphokinase and creatine kinase-MB, as well as the level of troponin I. Bilberry alleviated ECG changes in rats treated with DOX and attenuated its pathological changes. Bilberry protects against DOX-induced cardiotoxicity in rats. This can be attributed, at least in part, to its antioxidant activity.

Anthocyanins are potent antioxidants that may possess chronic disease preventive properties. Here, rapid, reliable, and reproducible solid-phase extraction, high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and mass spectrometry techniques are described for the isolation, separation, and identification of anthocyanins in human plasma and urine. Recoveries of cyanidin-3-glucoside (C3G) were 91% from water, 71% from plasma, and 81% from urine. Intra- and interday variations for C3G extraction were 9 and 9.1% in plasma and 7.1 and 9.1% in urine and were less than 15% for all anthocyanins from a standardized bilberry extract (mirtoselect). Analysis of mirtoselect by HPLC with UV detection produced spectra with 15 peaks compatible with anthocyanin components found in mirtoselect within a total run time of 15 min. Chromatographic analysis of human urine obtained after an oral dose of mirtoselect yielded 19 anthocyanin peaks. Mass spectrometric analysis employing multiple reaction monitoring suggests the presence of unchanged anthocyanins and anthocyanidin glucuronide metabolites.

The article is focused on microbiological and silvicultural properties of bacterial wetwood of silver birch (Betula pendula), also known as European white birch. During the active phase of the disease, bacterial wetwood (i.e. bacterial dropsy, vascular parenchymatous bacteriosis or flux slime) is characterised by crust and periderm bloating, necrotic wet stains and abundance of exudate. The disease is more likely to occur in older (r = 0.56, p < 0.01) and less-dense (r = −0.29, p < 0.01) stands. The statistical model showed that the chance of bacterial wetwood increases with birch age by 0.36% per year. The stands with birch proportion of over 70% demonstrated 15.3% lower infection rate compared to the stands with lower birch presence. The stands with lower stocking demonstrated a higher proportion of infected tree distribution by 7.5% compared to the stands with higher birch representation. The most vulnerable were larger, older B. pendula trees with longitudinally fissured bark that grow on poorer soils and experience frequent water stress. Birch associations with Pteridium aquilinum and Vaccinium myrtillus were more susceptible to infection (31.6% and 44.3%, respectively), whereas associations with Brachypodium sylvaticum, Sphagnum palustre and Calluna vul garis were at lower risk. Strong ecological and trophic association of bacterial wetwood was present between silver birch and Tremex spp., particularly Tremex fuscicornis. Mycobiota was represented by Rhizopus microsporus, Mucor mucedo, Penicillium aurantiogriseum, Penicillium purpurogenum and Acremonium strictum. Enterobacter, Xanthomonas, Pantoea and Bacillus spp. associated with bacterial wetwood of silver birch were isolated. Enterobacter nimipressuralis was found to be the primary causative agent through means of artificial infection , while other bacteria were found to be either weak pathogens or concomitant. E. nimipressuralis formed the largest number of colony-forming units (CFU) for bark and cambium (164 and 127 CFU, respectively) and was also found in a small amount as a vital obligate in the automicrobiota in healthy birch trees.

We studied the metabolism of berry anthocyanins to phenolic acids in six human subjects by giving them bilberry-lingonberry puree with and without oat cereals. Puree + cereals contained 1435 micromol of anthocyanins and 339 micromol of phenolic acids. The urinary excretion of measured 18 phenolic acids increased 241 micromol during the 48 h follow-up after the puree + cereals supplementation. The excretion peak of dietary phenolic acids was observed at 4-6 h after the puree + cereals supplementation and 2 h earlier after the supplementation of the puree alone. Homovanillic and vanillic acids were the most abundant metabolites, and they were partly produced from anthocyanins. No gallic acid, a fragmentation product of delphinidin glycosides, was detected, and only a very low amount of malvidin glycosides was possibly metabolized to syringic acid. Although anthocyanins were partly fragmented to phenolic acids, still a large part of metabolites remained unknown.

Despite being reported to reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases, little is known about acute direct effects of bilberry anthocyanins on whole mammalian heart under ischemia–reperfusion (I–R) conditions. Bilberry anthocyanins were prepared from the ripe bilberries and analyzed using HPLC–DAD. Their antioxidant activity was evaluated by measuring the intrinsic free radical–scavenging capacity and by cellular antioxidant assay (CAA) on endothelial cells, where we quantified the intracellular capacity to inhibit the formation of peroxyl radicals. Experiments on the isolated rat hearts under I–R were carried out according to the Langendorff method. Perfusion with low concentrations of bilberry anthocyanins (0.01–1 mg/L) significantly attenuated the extent of I–R injury as evidenced by decreasing the release rate of LDH, increasing the postischemic coronary flow, and by decreasing the incidence and duration of reperfusion arrhythmias. High concentrations (5–50 mg/L) diminished cardioprotection and show cardiotoxic activity despite having their radical scavenging and intracellular antioxidant capabilities increased in a concentration-dependent manner. This study reveals the biphasic concentration-dependent bioactivity of bilberry anthocyanins under I–R, which results in strong cardioprotective activity in low concentrations and cardiotoxic activity in high concentrations.