Berry fruits as a source of biologically active compounds: the case of Lonicera caerulea.

BACKGROUND Lonicera caerulea L. (blueberry honeysuckle, Caprifoliaceae) is a traditional crop in northern Russia, China, and Japan. Its fruits are little known as edible berries in North America and Europe. This review deals with the botany and chemical composition of L. caerulea and the biological activity of its main constituents, focusing on the potential health benefits of the berries. METHODS AND RESULTS PubMed, Science Direct and ISI Web of Knowledge databases were used for this paper. Literature sources include the period 1935-2007. L. caerulea berries a are rich source of phenolic compounds such as phenolic acids as well as anthocyanins, proanthocyanidins and other flavonoids, which display potential health promoting effects. Chemopreventive, antimicrobial, anti-adherence and antioxidant benefits, among others are described for these compounds. CONCLUSIONS The potential of L. caerulea berries to prevent chronic diseases such as diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular diseases and cancer seems to be related above all to their phenolic content.