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Bioactivity of Blueberry Extracts
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Bioactivity of Blueberry Extracts

A special issue of Plants (ISSN 2223-7747). This special issue belongs to the section "Phytochemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 May 2022) | Viewed by 8043

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Hisato Kunitake

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Biochemistry and Applied Biosciences, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Miyazaki, Miyazaki 889-2192, Japan
Interests: plant breeding; genetics; citrus; blueberry; raspberry; polyploid; chromosome
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Blueberries (Vaccinium spp.) are economically important as fruit crops worldwide, and the fruits are used as ingredients in fresh and processed products, such as jams and juices. The geographic area of blueberry cultivation has expanded from the traditional regions in North America to Europe, New Zealand/Australia, Japan, and most recently China. Blueberry fruits are a rich source of dietary bioactive compounds, including phytochemicals such as phenolics, particularly hydroxycinnamic and hydroxybenzoic acids and their derivatives (chlorogenic, caffeic, gallic, p-coumaric, ferulic, ellagic, syringic and vanillic acids), flavonols, anthocyanins, flavan-3-ols, and proanthocyanidins. The formation and accumulation of dietary bioactive compounds in the fruits are influenced by several factors, including the genotype, environmental conditions, ripeness, and storage conditions. Recent in vitro and in vivo studies and clinical trials for human health have revealed that blueberry fruit extracts can inhibit angiogenesis, prevent carcinogenesis and heart diseases, and combat cancer cell proliferation and increased apoptosis. Surprisingly, mature blueberry leaves are also becoming an important source of food and pharmaceutical ingredients, such as tea and dietary supplements in the global market. This Special Issue of Plants will thus highlight the bioactive and chemical profiles of health-related compounds of various blueberry tissues and organs (fruits, leaves, roots, and stems) for medical and pharmaceutical applications. The Special Issue also focuses on recent advances in physiological and molecular biological studies conducted to elucidate the absorption and metabolism of health-related compounds.

Prof. Dr. Hisato Kunitake
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • blueberries
  • fruit crops
  • bioactive compounds
  • phytochemicals
  • bioactivity

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

10 pages, 1812 KiB  
Article
Prediction of the Adult T-Cell Leukemia Inhibitory Activity of Blueberry Leaves/Stems Using Direct-Injection Electron Ionization-Mass Spectrometry Metabolomics
by Hisahiro Kai, Yoshihito Okada, Yo Goto, Takayuki Nakayama, Kazuhiro Sugamoto, Kenjirou Ogawa, Masao Yamasaki, Kazuhiro Morishita, Koji Matsuno and Hisato Kunitake
Plants 2022, 11(10), 1343; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11101343 - 19 May 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1895
Abstract
Although Vaccinium virgatum Aiton leaves and stems inhibit adult T-cell leukemia (ATL) cells, leaves and stems can differ between individual plants and by time and location. In this study, leaf and stem components were profiled in the same individual plant using direct-injection electron [...] Read more.
Although Vaccinium virgatum Aiton leaves and stems inhibit adult T-cell leukemia (ATL) cells, leaves and stems can differ between individual plants and by time and location. In this study, leaf and stem components were profiled in the same individual plant using direct-injection electron ionization-mass spectrometry (DI-EI-MS) metabolomics, with the aims of analyzing the anti-ATL activity, and quantifying proanthocyanidins (PACs). Leaves, stems, and leaf/stem mixtures showed distinct and characteristic spectra. Anti-ATL activity was stronger in stems than leaves, and the PAC content was higher in stems than leaves. These data were subjected to bivariate analysis to identify the factor (m/z) responsible for the inhibitory effect of ATL based on the highest coefficient of determination (R2). The results of this DI-EI-MS metabolomics analysis suggest that among PACs contained in V. virgatum stems and leaves, the fragment ion at m/z 149 contributes significantly to anti-ATL activity. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bioactivity of Blueberry Extracts)
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12 pages, 1016 KiB  
Article
Effective Utilization of Vaccinium virgatum Aiton Stems as Functional Materials: Major Constituent Analysis and Bioactivity Evaluation
by Hisahiro Kai, Kazuhiro Sugamoto, Saki Toshima, Yo Goto, Takayuki Nakayama, Kazuhiro Morishita and Hisato Kunitake
Plants 2022, 11(4), 568; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11040568 - 21 Feb 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2323
Abstract
We previously reported that rabbit-eye blueberry (Vaccinium virgatum Aiton) leaves exhibit multiple functions. In this study, we evaluated whether V. virgatum stems can also be used as functional materials similar to leaves and clarified the major constituents and their biological activity (antioxidant [...] Read more.
We previously reported that rabbit-eye blueberry (Vaccinium virgatum Aiton) leaves exhibit multiple functions. In this study, we evaluated whether V. virgatum stems can also be used as functional materials similar to leaves and clarified the major constituents and their biological activity (antioxidant activity and anti–adult T cell leukemia (ATL) activity). Water extracts of V. virgatum stems were separated into 19 fractions using a Diaion HP-20 open column. Sugars and organic acids were detected in the highly water-soluble fractions. Polyphenols and proanthocyanidin were detected in the hydrous methanol-soluble fractions. In biological activity evaluations, a difference in antioxidant activity was observed in the water-containing methanol-eluted fractions, and fractions exhibiting anti-ATL activity differed depending on cell type. These results suggest that blueberry stems, like leaves, are rich in polyphenols and exhibit antioxidant activity and inhibit ATL cell growth. In the future, aerial parts of blueberries, including stems and leaves, could be used as functional materials and/or medicinal resources. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bioactivity of Blueberry Extracts)
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16 pages, 4097 KiB  
Article
Vaccinium virgatum Aiton Leaves Extract Suppressed Lipid Accumulation and Uric Acid Production in 3T3-L1 Adipocytes
by Masao Yamasaki, Yusei Kiue, Kento Fujii, Moe Sushida, Yumi Yamasaki, Kazuhiro Sugamoto, Yosuke Suzuki, Yasuko Koga, Hisato Kunitake, Hisahiro Kai, Kenjiro Ogawa, Kazuo Nishiyama, Yo Goto and Takayuki Nakayama
Plants 2021, 10(12), 2638; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10122638 - 30 Nov 2021
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2964
Abstract
Blueberry (Vaccinium virgatum Aiton; Kinisato 35 Gou) leaves have recently attracted increasing attention as a useful material for the prevention of lifestyle diseases. Here, we examined the effects of the hot water extract of blueberry leaves (BLEx) on lipogenesis and uric acid [...] Read more.
Blueberry (Vaccinium virgatum Aiton; Kinisato 35 Gou) leaves have recently attracted increasing attention as a useful material for the prevention of lifestyle diseases. Here, we examined the effects of the hot water extract of blueberry leaves (BLEx) on lipogenesis and uric acid production in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. The results showed that BLEx suppressed lipid accumulation and the mRNA expression of differentiation markers in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. A fractionation study showed that the highly polymerized proanthocyanidin-rich fraction was responsible for this effect. Upon maturation to adipocytes, 3T3-L1 cells produced uric acid and tumor necrosis factor-α, and hypoxia stimulated the production of uric acid and xanthine oxidoreductase activity. BLEx suppressed the production of uric acid under these conditions. Although BLEx inhibited the enzymatic activity of xanthine oxidase, this activity was observed in several fractions containing catechin, epicatechin, chlorogenic acid, rutin, and low molecular weight proanthocyanidins. Taken together, these results indicate that BLEx contains various compounds with the ability to suppress lipid accumulation and uric acid production in adipocytes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bioactivity of Blueberry Extracts)
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