Calluna vulgaris as a Valuable Source of Bioactive Compounds: Exploring Its Phytochemical Profile, Biological Activities and Apitherapeutic Potential

Abstract

Calluna vulgaris, belonging to the Ericaceae family, is an invasive plant that has widely spread from Europe all across Asia, North America, Australia and New Zealand. Being able to survive in rigid soil and environmental conditions, it is nowadays considered to be of high nature-conservation value. Known for its nutritional and medicinal properties, C. vulgaris stands out for its varied physiochemical composition, spotlighting a wide range of biological activity. Among the most important bioactive compounds identified in C. vulgaris, the phenolic components found in different parts of this herbaceous plant are the main source of its diverse pro-health properties (antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, chemoprotective, etc.). Nonetheless, this plant exhibits an excellent nectariferous potential for social insects such as honeybees; therefore, comparing the bioactive compounds observed in the plant and in the final product of the beehive, namely honey, will help us understand and find new insights into the health benefits provided by the consumption of C. vulgaris-related products. Thus, the main interest of this work is to review the nutritional profile, chemical composition and biological activities of the C. vulgaris plant and its related honey in order to encourage the future exploration and use of this health-promoting plant in novel foods, pharmacological products and apitherapy.

Honey’s Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Properties: A Bibliometric Study

“…Honey type is a crucial factor determining the levels of phenolic and flavonoid compounds and, thus, different antibacterial behaviors. In dark forest honey and honeydew honey, these compounds performed successfully against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria [136][137][138][139][140][141].…”

“…Total phenolic acid and flavonoid content, hydrogen peroxide removal activity, the effect of removal of DPPH radicals, total antioxidant capacity, and measurement of reduction potential are representative methods applied in honey research, to emphasize its nutritional and health-beneficial activities. Concerning the physicochemical properties of honey, specific emphasis was given to color, water and moisture content, organic acids, acidity and pH, electrical conductivity, and ash content [99,105,[140][141][142].…”

Bioactivity of Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna) and Heather (Calluna vulgaris) Leaf Tinctures: An Optimization Study Using Response Surface Methodology

“…They reported that the total phenolic contents were 14.52, 26.88 and 32.67 mL/g for the stages of vegetative, flowering and seed ripening, respectively. Various parts (roots, flowers, shoots) of the heather plant contain important bioactive compounds and chemical composition of the heather plant is depended on some factors such as the climate, season, altitude, soil characteristics or growth stages (Cucu et al, 2022).…”

Analysis of Natural Bioactive Compounds in Plant, Food, and Pharmaceutical Products Using Chromatographic Techniques

“…The separation of natural bioactive chemicals from plants can be accomplished utilizing cutting-edge, high-tech, hyphenated chromatographic approaches, which also provide us with lots of information to be able to identify compounds [5][6][7]. In order to explain a plant's mechanism of action and therapeutic effect, modern healthcare providers need to be able to link the phytochemical profile of a plant employed in therapy to a biological activity [8]. In addition to plants, natural bioactive substances can be found in a variety of foods and pharmaceuticals [8,9].…”