In recent years, growing attention has been focused on the utilization of natural sources of antioxidants in the prevention of chronic diseases. Black chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa) represents a lesser known fruit species utilized mainly as juices, purees, jams, jellies and wine, as important food colorants or nutritional supplements. The fruit is valued as a great source of antioxidants, especially polyphenols, such as phenolic acids (neochlorogenic and chlorogenic acids) and flavonoids (anthocyanins, proanthocyanidins, flavanols and flavonols), particularly cyanidin-3-galactoside and cyanidin-3-arabinoside, as well as (−)-epicatechin units. The berries of A. melanocarpa, due to the presence and the high content of these bioactive components, exhibit a wide range of positive effects, such as strong antioxidant activity and potential medicinal and therapeutic benefits (gastroprotective, hepatoprotective, antiproliferative or anti-inflammatory activities). They could be also contributory toward the prevention of chronic diseases including metabolic disorders, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases, because of supportive impacts on lipid profiles, fasting plasma glucose and blood pressure levels.

https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/22/6/944/pdf

Fruits of Black Chokeberry Aronia melanocarpa in the Prevention of Chronic Diseases.

Background The food industry today is returning to natural foods after emphasizing the processed products due to the higher consumer demand for foods which are well recognized by healthy nutrients. Bee pollen is known as a natural super food due to its indispensable nutritional and medicinal properties. However, the physico-chemical and nutritional properties of bee pollen are ambiguous which vary greatly due to the difference of botanical and geographical origin. Scope and approach The current study, therefore, presents an updated overview by critically reviewing the literature for chemical constituents (sugars, amino acids, fatty acids, minerals, vitamins, and phenolic compounds) of bee pollen since 2009 from more than 20 nations of the world. The functional properties of different plant-derived bee pollen and their food applications are also discussed for the first time. Key findings and conclusions As per the systematic review of above 100 studies, the bee pollen contains average 54.22% (18.50–84.25%) carbohydrates, 21.30% (4.50–40.70%) proteins, 5.31% (0.41–13.50%) lipids, 8.75% (0.15–31.26%) fibre, 2.91% (0.50–7.75%) ash, 13.41 g/100 g (2.77–28.49 g/100 g) glucose, 15.36 g/100 g (4.9–33.48 g/100 g) fructose, 4.25 g/100 g (0.05–9.02 g/100 g) sucrose, 4951.61 mg/kg (3.06–13366.60 mg/kg) potassium, 4157.86 mg/kg (234.40–9587.00 mg/kg) phosphorus, 1751.22 mg/kg (1.09–5752.19 mg/kg) calcium, 1246.99 mg/kg (44.00–4680.53 mg/kg) magnesium, 46.97 mg/kg (0.10–105.80 mg/kg) zinc, 197.41 mg/kg (2.60–1180.00 mg/kg) iron, and 30.59 mg GAE/g (0.69–213.20 mg GAE/g) total phenolic content. Bee pollen, based on its functional properties can be recommended as a natural food ingredient in several processed food products. Further, the present paper strongly focuses to investigate the mono-floral bee pollen from different geographical regions and related safety issues to establish the global pollen quality and safety standards in coming years.

Composition and functionality of bee pollen: A review

Black chokeberry (Aronia melnocarpa) is a source of many bioactive compounds with a wide spectrum of health-promoting properties. Fresh, unprocessed chokeberry fruits are rarely consumed due to their astringent taste, but they are used in the food industry for the production of juices, nectars, syrups, jams, preserves, wines, tinctures, fruit desserts, jellies, fruit teas and dietary supplements. Polyphenols are biofactors that determine the high bioactivity of chokeberries, some of the richest sources of polyphenols, which include anthocyanins, proanthocyanidins, flavonols, flavanols, proanthocyanidins, and phenolic acids. Chokeberry fruit and products have great antioxidant and health-promoting potential as they reduce the occurrence of free radicals. This publication reviewed the scientific research regarding the phenolic compounds and the antioxidant potential of chokeberry fruits, products and isolated compounds. These findings may be crucial in future research concerning chokeberry based functional food products. Chokeberry fruits can be considered as promising component of designed food with enhanced antioxidant potential. However, like other plants and medicinal products of natural origin, black chokeberry requires extensive studies to determine its antioxidant potential, safety and mechanisms of action.

https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/24/20/3710/pdf

Black Chokeberry Aronia melanocarpa L.-A Qualitative Composition, Phenolic Profile and Antioxidant Potential.

Black chokeberry fruits (Aronia melnocarpa) are used in the food industry for the production of juices, preserves, tinctures, fruit teas and dietary supplements. Fresh, unprocessed black chokeberry fruits however are rarely consumed due to their bitter taste, resulting from the presence of a significant amount of polyphenols. Polyphenols are biofactors that determine the high activity of black chokeberries, including proanthocyanidins, anthocyanins, phenolic acids, flavonols, and flavanols. Black chokeberry fruit and products have great health-promoting potential as they reduce the risk factors of the metabolic syndrome. Many studies showed the beneficial effects of black chokeberries in frequent co-morbidities such as dyslipidaemia, hypertension, obesity, glucose metabolism disorders, proinflammatory conditions and thrombosis risk. Black chokeberry has the probable potential to inhibit the development of various types of cancers, including leukaemia, breast and intestinal cancer as well as cancer stem cells.This publication reviewed the scientific research regarding the health benefits of black chokeberry fruits and isolated compounds. These findings may be essential in future research with regard to black chokeberry based functional food products.Black chokeberry can be considered as promising component of novel food with increased biological potential. However, like other highly bioactive plants and products of natural origin, black chokeberry requires wide-ranging studies on humans to determine its safety, efficacy, as well as mechanisms of action.

Black chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa) and its products as potential health-promoting factors - an overview.

The aim of this work was to determine phenolic profile and antioxidant properties of methanolic (MEP) and ethanolic (EEP) extracts of monofloral bee-collected sunflower pollen from Serbia. In total, 37 different polyphenols (19 flavonol glycosides and 18 other polyphenols) were identified by UHPLC/MS-MS Orbitrap analysis. The different phenolic profile of MEP and EEP was observed with flavonols as most abundant, 94.1% (MEP) and 93.4% (EEP), out of which flavonoid glycosides represented 73.2% (MEP) and 66.1% (EEP). The higher amount of total phenolics was recorded in EEP (200.58 mg/kg DW) than in MEP (244.44 mg/kg DW). The quercetin 3-O-galactoside was the major compound in both extracts, 112.86 mg/kg in MEP and 128.64 mg/kg in EEP. The presence of coumaroylated and acetylated flavonoid glycosides were registered, among which the quercetin 3-O-(6“-acetyl)hexoside was recored in the significant amount in MEP (111.10 mg Q3G/kg DW), whereas in EEP the content of coumaroylated kaempferol glycosides (137.95 mg Q3G/kg DW) was significantly higher. The ferric reducing power and ABTS radical scavenging activity assays revealed that pollen extracts possessed significant antioxidant activity. The monofloral bee-collected pollen of Helianthus annuus L. can be used as good food supplement with high flavonoids content and antioxidant activity.

Polyphenolic profile and antioxidant properties of bee-collected pollen from sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) plant

Chokeberries (Aronia melanocarpa) are rarely used in diet in Croatia but they have high content of polyphenolic compounds and one of the highest in vitro antioxidant activities among fruits. The aim of this study is to compare the quality, phenolic content and antioxidant capacity of different chokeberry products (juices, powders, fruit tea, capsules and dried berries). It can be expected that processing influences antioxidant activity and phenolic content of final products reaching consumers. Characterisation of phenolic compounds was carried out by using spectroscopic methods (Folin-Ciocalteu and pH differential methods). Antioxidant activity of chokeberry products was determined using 2,2-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) methods. The results show that the investigated products contain high amount of phenols (3002 to 6639 mg per L and 1494 to 5292 mg per 100 g of dry matter) and lower amount of total anthocyanins (150 to 1228 mg per L and 141 to 2468 mg per 100 g of dry matter). The examined juices and other chokeberry products possess high antioxidant capacity (12.09 to 40.19 mmol per L or 58.49 to 191.31 mmol per 100 g of dry matter, respectively) and reducing power (38.71 to 79.86 mmol per L or 13.50 to 68.60 mmol per 100 g of dry matter, respectively). On the basis of phenolic content and antioxidant activity, capsules and powders stand out among other products. The study indicates that there are significant differences (p<0.05) in the quality, phenolic content and antioxidant capacity among examined products.

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Phenolic Content, Antioxidant Capacity and Quality of Chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa) Products

Chokeberries are a subject of numerous studies due to a high phenolic compound content, antioxidant properties and potential positive infl uence on the health. Effects of weather conditions on fruit quality attributes, phenolic compounds and antioxidant capacity of chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa) juice over three consecutive years were investigated. Total phenolic content and total fl avonoids range were from 8834 to 11093 mg/L and from 6993 to 9710 mg/L, respectively. High variations and discrepancy during different growing seasons are due to the different air temperature, sunlight and rainfall rate. The highest concentrations of anthocyanins and phenolics were observed in fruits harvested in 2012, which is most likely due to the favorable weather conditions (temperature and bright sunshine hours). All chokeberry juices possess high antioxidant activity (12.9–14.6 mmol/L ; 128–167 mmol/L). Strong correlation implies that fl avonoids and non-fl avonoids were the major contributors to the antioxidant capacity. This study indicates that although the examined properties vary considerably through the growing seasons (p0.05), chokeberry juices can serve as a good source of bioactive phytochemicals in a human diet

/pdf/effects-of-weather-conditions-on-phenolic-content-and-4c411hxeqi.pdf

Mandica-Tamara Tolić

Papers

Phenolic Content, Antioxidant Capacity and Quality of Chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa) Products

Effects of Weather Conditions on Phenolic Content and Antioxidant Capacity in Juice of Chokeberries (Aronia melanocarpa L.)