Chemical Composition and Biological Activities of the Nord-West Romanian Wild Bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus L.) and Lingonberry (Vaccinium vitis-idaea L.) Leaves

Abstract

This study was performed to evaluate and compare the in vitro antioxidant, antimicrobial, and antimutagenic activities, and the polyphenolic content of the Nord-West Romanian wild bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus L.) and lingonberry (Vaccinium vitis-idaea L.) leaves from three different natural habitats (Smida, Turda, Borsa). In the case of both species, the flavanols level was higher in Smida habitat (altitude 1100 m), whereas quercetin derivates were more abundant in Borsa habitat (altitude 850 m). The bilberry leaf extracts contained in the highest amounts the feruloylquinic acid (59.65 ± 0.44 mg/g for Borsa habitat) and rutin (49.83 ± 0.63 mg/g for Borsa habitat), and showed relevant 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) antioxidant activity (271.65 mM Trolox/100 g plant material for Borsa habitat, 262.77 mM Trolox/100 g plant material for Smida habitat, and 320.83 mM Trolox/100 g plant material for Turda habitat), for all the three extracts. Gallocatechin was the dominant flavanol in lingonberry species, with the highest amount being registered for Smida habitat (46.81 ± 0.3 mg/g), revealing a DPPH antioxidant activity of 251.49 mM Trolox/100 g plant material. The results obtained in the antimicrobial tests showed that the best inhibitory effect among bilberry species was attributed to the Turda (altitude 436 m) and Smida locations, against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial strains. For lingonberry, the differences in habitat did not influence the antibacterial effect, but the antifungal effect, only in the case of Candida zeylanoides. A strong antimutagenic effect was registered by the bilberry leaves toward Salmonella typhimurium TA100. Our study may be able to provide a better understanding of the correlation between natural habitat conditions and the accumulation of secondary metabolites and their related bioactivities in studied leaves.

Bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus L.) Extracts Comparative Analysis Regarding Their Phytonutrient Profiles, Antioxidant Capacity along with the In Vivo Rescue Effects Tested on a Drosophila melanogaster High-Sugar Diet Model

“…The pronounced presence of various phytonutrients with antioxidant function strongly indicates that the bilberry extracts as a whole might also aid in the reduction in oxidative stress, despite the fact that the implicated coping mechanisms at cellular level are currently scarcely documented. Some already existing research data accentuate the antioxidant feature of bilberry extracts largely attributed to the rich anthocyanin content of bilberries [2][3][4][5][6][7]. Moreover, the in vitro antioxidant property of the assessed three bilberry extracts is further substantiated by the DPPH free radical scavenging assay, suggesting once again the superiority of the hydro-methanolic extract (E3) over the other formulations (Table 2).…”

“…The chemo-mapping of our extracts offers new insights into their composition, as to our knowledge, the previously reported bilberry extracts were highly focused on the anthocyanin content [2][3][4][5][6], rather than the complete phytochemical profile ( Table 1). The identified chemical classes ( Figure 2) are in agreement with reported composition of Vaccinium myrtillus L. extracts (Table S5) [35][36][37][38][39][40][41][42][43][44].…”

“…Berries constitute a large group of functional foods, also nowadays known as "superfoods", whose consumption delivers several health benefits beyond basic nutrition, mainly attributed to their anthocyanin content holding mainly antioxidant but also recently characterized antiglycoxidant properties [2,3]. Despite their similarities, berries differ in their phytochemical content, such as flavonoids and anthocyanins, of both plants and fruit [4][5][6]. The quantity of the main anthocyanins found in bilberries is more than twice the one found in blueberries [7].…”

Phenolic Fractions from Vaccinium vitis-idaea L. and Their Antioxidant and Anticancer Activities Assessment

“…), are well known for their health-protective properties and potential use in the treatment of urinary tract infections and chronic diseases, associated with free radicals damage in the human body. Fruits and leaves of this plant are considered to be a good source of phenolic compounds, which ensure various mechanisms of the antioxidant defense system [ 1 , 2 ]. Major groups of lingonberry’s phenolic compounds are monophenols (prevalent in leaves), anthocyanins (prevalent in fruits), phenolic acids, flavonols, catechins, and proanthocyanidins, found in both raw materials [ 3 , 4 ].…”

The Chemical and Biological Profiles of Leaves from Commercial Blueberry Varieties

“…The formation and accumulation of bioactive compounds in the fruits are influenced by several factors, such as genotype, environmental conditions, ripeness, and storage [ 37 , 40 , 41 , 42 ]. Moreover, phenolic compounds are particularly sensitive to environmental stress, and their content changes rapidly under the influence of stress [ 43 ]. Furthermore, recent studies have shown that the levels of anthocyanins, chlorogenic acid, and quercetin were influenced by the blueberry cultivar, as well [ 34 , 44 ].…”