Rubus Fruticosus L.: Constituents, Biological Activities and Health Related Uses

Abstract

Rubus fruticosus L. is a shrub famous for its fruit called blackberry fruit or more commonly blackberry. The fruit has medicinal, cosmetic and nutritive value. It is a concentrated source of valuable nutrients, as well as bioactive constituents of therapeutic interest highlighting its importance as a functional food. Besides use as a fresh fruit, it is also used as ingredient in cooked dishes, salads and bakery products like jams, snacks, desserts, and fruit preserves. R. fruticosus contains vitamins, steroids and lipids in seed oil and minerals, flavonoids, glycosides, terpenes, acids and tannins in aerial parts that possess diverse pharmacological activities such as antioxidant, anti-carcinogenic, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial anti-diabetic, anti-diarrheal, and antiviral. Various agrogeoclimatological factors like cultivar, environmental conditions of the area, agronomic practices employed, harvest time, post-harvest storage and processing techniques all influence the nutritional composition of blackberry fruit. This review focuses on the nutrients and chemical constituents as well as medicinal properties of different parts OPEN ACCESSMolecules 2014, 19 10999 of R. fruticosus. Various cultivars and their physicochemical characteristics, polyphenolic content and ascorbic acid content are also discussed. The information in the present work will serve as baseline data and may lead to new biomedical applications of R. fruticosus as functional food.

The biochemical significances of the proximate, mineral and phytochemical composition of selected vegetables from Pakistan

“…Dietary guidelines encouraged the supplementation of plant-derived nutraceuticals not only to provide an insight regarding assuaging nature, nutritional worth, sustainability and safe status but also to modulate the onset of chronic ailments (Atta et al, 2016). Epidemiological studies also have correlated the consumption of the phytochemicals-based nutraceuticals particularly those from fruits and vegetables with declining incidences of several physiological threats (Zia-ul-Haq et al, 2014;Zhang and Liu, 2015). These bioactive ingredients like phenolics and carotenoids are diversified in nature which shows considerable antioxidative activity (Shahidi, 2009).…”

Effect of Hydroethanolic Extract of Rubus fruticosus on Neuropathic Pain in Wistar Diabetic Rats

“…Previous studies show that the plants of genus Rubus contain the compounds with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties including a variety of antioxidants (such as Neoxanthin, Violaxanthin, β-carotene, Lutein) and anthocyanins (such as Cyanidin-3-glucoside, cyanidin-3-xyloside, cyanidin-3-rutinoside, cyanidin-3-malonylglucoside and dioxalylglucoside-cyanidin-3), vitamin C, flavonoid and phenolic compounds (such as ellagic acid, catechin, epicatechin, rutin, quercetin, caffeic acid, p-coumaric acid) and minerals (such as calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, zinc, manganese and selenium) (17,(33)(34)(35). So by abovementioned description, it can be assumed that compounds in hydroethanolic extract of aerial parts of Rubus fruticosus suppress inflammation caused by diabetes by affecting on inflammatory mechanisms and exerting anti-inflammatory effects and inhibiting enzymes involved in this pathway such as lipoxygenase and cyclooxygenase.…”

“…Rubus fruticosus is belonging to the Rosaceae family. The plant is found in many parts of the world and has many biologically beneficial effects including antidiabetic, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antidiarrheal, anti-tumor, anti-fertilization, neuroprotective and also wound healing properties (17,18). Several studies show that its phenolic compounds and anthocyanins have neuroprotective and analgesic and sedative properties, and can improve the age related memory impairment and learning disability (19).…”

“…Its antidiabetic and neuroprotective effects are supposed to be due to some phenolic compounds such as ellagic acid and also anthocyanins, magnesium and manganese components (17,18,20).…”

Antibacterial activity of two extracts from Rubus fruticosus L. against resistant pathogens and their antioxidant potential

“…Rubus fruticosus L. (Rosaceae) is a shrub well known for its fruit, called blackberries which are marketed all over the world for its delicious taste and high nutritive value. The shrub may be original from Armenia and is nowadays spreading in Europe, Asia, Oceania, northern and southern America and northern Africa (Hummer and Janick, 2007;Swanston-Flatt et al, 1990;Zia-Ul-Haq et al, 2014).…”