Genetic diversity and changes in phenolic contents and antiradical activity of Vaccinium myrtillus berries from its southernmost growing area in Italy

Vaccinium myrtillus L. extract and its native polyphenol‐recombined mixture have anti‐proliferative and pro‐apoptotic effects on human prostate cancer cell lines

“…Natural extracts from spontaneous plants are of limited clinical applicability due to significant changes occurring in the plant metabolome, in relation to a number of variables, such as fruit genetic, as well as environmental and cropping characteristics (Giordani et al, 2018). Conversely, the use of a mixture of plant‐derived compounds, recombined to simulate a natural extract and accurately characterized both from qualitative and quantitative viewpoints, gives results of greater overall significance in basic research studies and, prospectively, in clinical applications.…”

“…Fully ripe bilberries and false bilberries were collected in August 2018 in an area of the Tuscan Apennines traditionally colonized by plants of spontaneous V. myrtillus and V. uliginosum subsp. gaultherioides (Giordani et al, 2018). The coordinates of the central point of the sampling zone were 44°09′26.0”N 10°41′39.2″E.…”

“…gaultherioides (VGE, false bilberry) and V. corymbosum (VCE, blueberry), which provide a very different qualitative and quantitative phenolic composition (Ancillotti et al, 2016; Ancillotti et al, 2017). Because the phenolic content of spontaneous berries may be strongly affected by genetic and environmental variations (Giordani et al, 2018), we studied also the biological activity of a standardized mixture of bilberry main native polyphenols (RSM), which would deliver a more predictable effect with a consequent higher clinical applicability.…”

Review of botanical characterization, growth preferences, climatic adaptation and human health effects of Ericaceae and Empetraceae wild dwarf shrub berries in boreal, alpine and arctic areas

“…Factors linked to critical plant processes and events such as the timing of flower initiation, winter hardening, avoidance of frost injury during bloom and drought avoidance in summer are as follows: maximum temperature in June, mean temperature in August to September the year before fruiting, maximum snow depth in April, minimum temperature in May and hydrothermal ratio in June to July [127]. Regional environmental effects and annual climate have the greatest effect on the quality of V. myrtillus fruits compared with other wild berries [128]. In line with this finding, plant species originating from northern areas are better adapted to low temperatures and long days than clones originating from southern areas, and low temperatures increase the sugar content, acids and total phenols in V. myrtillus.…”

“…A study in the Tuscan Apennines (Italy) using molecular clustering has shown no relationship with biochemical diversity. The remarkable variability of biochemical parameters investigated over 2 years was probably caused by variations in climatic conditions [128].…”