Phenolic Compounds from Five Ericaceae Species Leaves and Their Related Bioavailability and Health Benefits

Abstract

Some species of the Ericaceae family have been intensively studied because of the beneficial health impact, known since ancient times, of their chemical components. Since most studies focus on the effects of fruit consumption, this review aims to highlight the phenolic components present in the leaves. For this purpose, five species from Ericaceae family (bilberry—Vaccinium myrtillus L., lingonberry—V. vitis-idaea L., bog bilberry—V. uliginosum L., blueberry—V. corymbosum L. and bearberry—Arctostapylos uva-ursi L.) were considered, four of which can be found in spontaneous flora. The chemical composition of the leaves revealed three major phenolic compounds: chlorogenic acid, quercetin and arbutin. The health promoting functions of these compounds, such as antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that could have preventive effects for cardiovascular disease, neurodegenerative disorders, cancer, and obesity, have been exemplified by both in vitro and in vivo studies in this review. Furthermore, the importance of bioaccessibility and bioavailability of the phenolic compounds have been summarized. The findings highlight the fact that leaves of some Ericaceae species deserve increased attention and should be studied more profoundly for their biological activities, especially those from spontaneous flora.

The Effects of Dietary Inclusion of Bilberry and Walnut Leaves in Laying Hens’ Diets on the Antioxidant Properties of Eggs

“…Walnut leaves are considered to be a rich source of phytochemicals, such as phenolics, flavonoids, and flavonols with free-radical scavenging properties, and are an important exogenous antioxidant source with a role in oxidative stress balance [22]. All groups of phenolic compounds are present in the leaves of bilberry, including high levels of anthocyanins or procyanidins, which have proven anti-radical activity [10]. The walnuts and bilberries are considered significant contributors to carotenoid and tocopherol daily intake [23], but to our knowledge, very little is known about the concentrations of these compounds in leaves.…”

“…Bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus L.) is a perennial wild shrub, belonging to Vaccinium spp., and is a good source of natural phenolic compounds, such as anthocyanins, which provide the natural pigmentation of fruits and exhibit cardio and neuroprotective effects, and anti-inflammatory and anticarcinogenic properties [10].…”

Phenolic Composition, Mineral Content, and Beneficial Bioactivities of Leaf Extracts from Black Currant (Ribes nigrum L.), Raspberry (Rubus idaeus), and Aronia (Aronia melanocarpa)

“…The biological effects of polyphenolic compounds are limited by their low absorption from the digestive tract [65,66]. It has been shown that chemical structure determined the rate and extent of their intestinal absorption.…”

Phenolic Antioxidants in Aerial Parts of Wild Vaccinium Species: Towards Pharmaceutical and Biological Properties

“…The main classes of phenolic compounds present in the leaves and stems of Vaccinium myrtillus L. and Vaccinium vitis-idaea L. are phenolic acids (mainly chlorogenic acid), flavonoids, flavonol glycosides, and (epi)catechin monomers and oligomers [6,10,12,14,15,17,18], all known to be powerful antioxidants that act by directly trapping ROS, chelating transition metal ions, and inhibiting enzymes involved in the oxidative stress [19,20]. The recent studies conducted by Bujor et al [10,15] showed that phenolic compounds were found in significantly higher contents in the leaves and stems than in the fruits.…”