Research update:Rubus idaeus or red raspberry.

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   Phytochemical info of Rubus idaeus or red raspberry.

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 Definition:Rubus idaeus or red raspberry are majorly composed of
 Chemical information disclosed as following table:


   Research update:Rubus idaeus or red raspberry.

  Acceleration of osmotic dehydration process through ohmic heating of foods: raspberries (Rubus idaeus).:Arch Latinoam Nutr. 2007 Jun;57(2):192-5. Spanish.Simpson RR, Jim¨¦nez MP, Carevic EG, Grancelli RM.Universidad T¨¦cnica Federico Santa Mar¨ªa, Universidad Cat¨®lica de Valpara¨ªso, Valpara¨ªso, Chile.

 Raspberries (Rubus idaeus) were osmotically dehydrated by applying a conventional method under the supposition of a homogeneous solution, all in a 62% glucose solution at 50 degrees C. Raspberries (Rubus idaeus) were also osmotically dehydrated by using ohmic heating in a 57% glucose solution at a variable voltage (to maintain temperature between 40 and 50 degrees C) and an electric field intensity <100 V/cm. When comparing the results from both experiments it was evident that processing time is reduced when ohmic heating technique was used. In some cases this reduction reached even 50%. This is explained by the additional effect to the thermal damage that is generated in an ohmic process, denominated electroporation.

  Biosynthesis of monoterpenes and norisoprenoids in raspberry fruits (Rubus idaeus L.): the role of cytosolic mevalonate and plastidial methylerythritol phosphate pathway.:J Agric Food Chem. 2007 Oct 31;55(22):9296-304. Epub 2007 Oct 2.Hampel D, Swatski A, Mosandl A, W¨¹st M.Institut f¨¹r Lebensmittelchemie, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universit?t, Max-von-Laue-Strasse 9, D-60438 Frankfurt/Main, Germany.

 The biosynthesis of the monoterpenes (-)-alpha-pinene, linalool, and the norisoprenoids alpha- and beta-ionone in raspberry fruits (rubus idaeus L.) was investigated by in vivo feeding experiments with [5,5-(2)H2]-mevalonic acid lactone and [5,5-(2)H2]-1-deoxy-D-xylulose. The volatile compounds were extracted by stirbar sorptive extraction and analyzed using thermal desorption-multidimensional gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (TD-enantio-MDGC-MS). The feeding experiments demonstrate that (-)-alpha-pinene and (S)-linalool are exclusively synthesized via the cytosolic mevalonic acid pathway. In contrast, (2)H-labeled (R)-(E)-alpha-ionone and (2)H-labeled (E)-beta-ionone are detectable after application of d2-1-deoxy-D-xylulose and d2-mevalonic acid lactone, respectively. However, (R)-linalool reveals no incorporation of either one of the fed precursors, even though this enantiomer is detectable in the fruit tissue.

  Wild vascular plants gathered for consumption in the Polish countryside: a review.:J Ethnobiol Ethnomed. 2007 Apr 15;3:17. Review.?uczaj ?, Szyma¨½ski WM. High School of Humanities and Economics in ?¨®d?, Department of Humanities, 90-222 ?¨®d?, Poland. lukasz.luczaj@interia.pl

 BACKGROUND: This paper is an ethnobotanical review of wild edible plants gathered for consumption from the end of the 18th century to the present day, within the present borders of Poland. METHODS: 42 ethnographic and botanical sources documenting the culinary use of wild plants were analyzed. RESULTS: The use of 112 species (3.7% of the flora) has been recorded. Only half of them have been used since the 1960s. Three species: Cirsium rivulare, Euphorbia peplus and Scirpus sylvaticus have never before been reported as edible by ethnobotanical literature. The list of wild edible plants which are still commonly gathered includes only two green vegetables (Rumex acetosa leaves for soups and Oxalis acetosella as children's snack), 15 folk species of fruits and seeds (Crataegus spp., Corylus avellana, Fagus sylvatica, Fragaria vesca, Malus domestica, Prunus spinosa, Pyrus spp., Rosa canina, Rubus idaeus, Rubus sect. Rubus, Sambucus nigra, Vaccinium myrtillus, V. oxycoccos, V. uliginosum, V. vitis-idaea) and four taxa used for seasoning or as preservatives (Armoracia rusticana root and leaves, Carum carvi seeds, Juniperus communis pseudo-fruits and Quercus spp. leaves). The use of other species is either forgotten or very rare. In the past, several species were used for food in times of scarcity, most commonly Chenopodium album, Urtica dioica, U. urens, Elymus repens, Oxalis acetosella and Cirsium spp., but now the use of wild plants is mainly restricted to raw consumption or making juices, jams, wines and other preserves. The history of the gradual disappearance of the original barszcz, Heracleum sphondylium soup, from Polish cuisine has been researched in detail and two, previously unpublished, instances of its use in the 20th century have been found in the Carpathians. An increase in the culinary use of some wild plants due to media publications can be observed. CONCLUSION: Poland can be characterized as a country where the traditions of culinary use of wild plants became impoverished very early, compared to some parts of southern Europe. The present use of wild plants, even among the oldest generation, has been almost entirely restricted to fruits.

  Temporal sequence of cell wall disassembly events in developing fruits. 1. Analysis of raspberry (Rubus idaeus).:J Agric Food Chem. 2007 May 16;55(10):4119-24. Epub 2007 Apr 12.Vicente AR, Ortugno C, Powell AL, Greve LC, Labavitch JM.Plant Sciences Department, Mail Stop 5, University of California-Davis, Davis, California 95616, USA.

 Raspberry fruits were harvested at five developmental stages, from green to red ripe, and the changes in cell wall composition, pectin and hemicellulose solubilization, and depolymerization were analyzed. Fruit softening at intermediate stages of ripening was associated with increased pectin solubilization, which occurred without depolymerization. Arabinose was found to be the most abundant noncellulosic neutral sugar in the cell wall and showed dramatic solubilization late in ripening. No changes in pectin molecular size were observed even at the 100% red stage. Subsequently, as fruit became fully ripe a dramatic depolymerization occurred. In contrast, the hemicellulosic fractions showed no significant changes in content or polymer size during ripening. The paper discusses the sequence of events leading to cell wall disassembly in raspberry fruit.

  Mapping of A1 conferring resistance to the aphid Amphorophora idaei and dw (dwarfing habit) in red raspberry (Rubus idaeus L.) using AFLP and microsatellite markers.:BMC Plant Biol. 2007 Mar 20;7:15.Sargent DJ, Fern¨¢ndez-Fern¨¢ndez F, Rys A, Knight VH, Simpson DW, Tobutt KR.East Malling Research, East Malling, Kent, UK. dan.sargent@emr.ac.uk

 BACKGROUND: Raspberry breeding programmes worldwide aim to produce improved cultivars to satisfy market demands and within these programmes there are many targets, including increased fruit quality, yield and season, and improved pest and disease resistance and plant habit. The large raspberry aphid, Amphorophora idaei, transmits four viruses and vector resistance is an objective in raspberry breeding. The development of molecular tools that discriminate between aphid resistance genes from different sources will allow the pyramiding of such genes and the development of raspberry varieties with superior pest resistance. We have raised a red raspberry (Rubus idaeus) F1 progeny from the cross 'Malling Jewel' x 'Malling Orion' (MJ x MO), which segregates for resistance to biotype 1 of the aphid Amphorophora idaei and for a second phenotypic trait, dwarf habit. These traits are controlled by single genes, denoted (A1) and (dw) respectively. RESULTS: The progeny of 94 seedlings was scored for the segregation of 95 AFLP and 22 SSR markers and a linkage map was constructed that covers a total genetic distance of 505 cM over seven linkage groups. The average linkage group length was 72.2 cM and there was an average of 17 markers per linkage group, of which at least two were codominant SSRs, allowing comparisons with previously published maps of raspberry. The two phenotypic traits, A1 and dw, mapped to linkage groups 3 and 6 respectively. CONCLUSION: The mapping of A1 will facilitate the discrimination of resistance genes from different sources and the pyramiding of aphid resistance genes in new raspberry cultivars; the mapping of dw will allow further investigations into the genetics of dwarfing habit in Rubus.


  Optimization of ultrasound-assisted extraction of anthocyanins in red raspberries and identification of anthocyanins in extract using high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry.:Ultrason Sonochem. 2007 Sep;14(6):767-78. Epub 2007 Jan 20.Chen F, Sun Y, Zhao G, Liao X, Hu X, Wu J, Wang Z.Laboratory of Horticultural Products Processing and Storage, College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China.

 Anthocyanins (Acys) are naturally occurring compounds that impart color to fruit, vegetables and plants. The extraction of Acys from red raspberry (Rubus idaeus L. var. Heritage) by ultrasound-assisted process (UAP) was studied. A central composite rotate design (CCRD) was used to obtain the optimal conditions of ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE), and the effects of operating conditions, such as the ratio of solvents to materials, ultrasonic power and extraction time, on the extraction yield of Acys were studied through response surface methodology (RSM). The optimized conditions of UAE were as follows: ratio of solvents to materials was 4:1 (ml/g), extraction time was 200s, and ultrasonic power was 400 W. Under these conditions 34.5 mg of Acys from 100g of fresh fruits (T(Acy), expressed as cyanidin-3-glucoside), approximately 78.13% of the total red pigments, could be obtained by UAE. The Acys compositions of extracts were identified by high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS), 12 kinds of Acys had been detected and eight kinds of Acys were characterized. Result indicated that cyanidin-3-sophoroside, cyanidin-3-(2(G)-glucosylrutinoside), cyanidin-3-sambubioside, cyanidin-3-rutinoside, cyanidin-3-xylosylrutinoside, cyanidin-3-(2(G)-glucosylrutinoside), and cyanidin-3-rutinoside were main components in extracts. In addition, in comparison with the conventional solvent extraction, UAE is more efficient and rapid to extract Acys from red raspberry, due to the strong disruption of fruit tissue structure under ultrasonic acoustic cavitation, which had been observed with the scanning electron microscopy (SEM). However, the Acys compositions in extracts by both methods were similar, which were investigated using HPLC profile.

  Radical scavenging activity and composition of raspberry (Rubus idaeus) leaves from different locations in Lithuania.:Fitoterapia. 2007 Feb;78(2):162-5. Epub 2006 Nov 14.Venskutonis PR, Dvaranauskaite A, Labokas J.Kaunas University of Technology, Department of Food Technology, Radvilenu pl. 19, Kaunas, LT-50015, Lithuania. rimas.venskutonis@ktu.lt

 Raspberry (Rubus idaeus) leaves, collected in different locations of Lithuania were extracted with ethanol and the extracts were tested for their antioxidant activity (AA) by using ABTS(.)(+) decolourisation and DPPH(.) scavenging methods. All extracts were active, with radical scavenging capacity at the used concentrations from 20.5 to 82.5% in DPPH(.) reaction system and from 8.0 to 42.7% in ABTS(.)(+) reaction. The total amount of phenolic compounds in the leaves varied from 4.8 to 12.0 mg of gallic acid equivalents (GAE) in 1 g of plant extract. Quercetin glucuronide, quercetin-3-O-glucoside and rutin were identified in the extracts.

  In-vitro mutagenic potential and effect on permeability of co-administered drugs across Caco-2 cell monolayers of Rubus idaeus and its fortified fractions.:J Pharm Pharmacol. 2006 Nov;58(11):1545-52.Kreander K, Galkin A, Vuorela S, Tammela P, Laitinen L, Heinonen M, Vuorela P.Drug Discovery and Development Technology Center, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Helsinki, Finland.

 This study investigated the mutagenic, anti-mutagenic and cytotoxic effects of acetone extract of raspberry, Rubus idaeus L. (v. Ottawa) Rosaceae, and the isolated and characterized ellagitannin and anthocyanin fractions thereof, suitable for food applications. The studied raspberry extract and fractions did not show any mutagenic effects determined in the miniaturized Ames test and were not cytotoxic to Caco-2 cells at the used concentrations. However, the anti-mutagenic properties were changed (i.e. decreased mutagenicity of 2-nitrofluorene in strain TA98, and slightly increased mutagenicity of 2-aminoanthracene in strain TA100) with metabolic activation. Further, their influence on the permeability of co-administered common drugs (ketoprofen, paracetamol, metoprolol and verapamil) across Caco-2 monolayers was evaluated. The apical-to-basolateral permeability of highly permeable verapamil was mostly affected (decreased) during co-administration of the raspberry extract or the ellagitannin fraction. Ketoprofen permeability was decreased by the ellagitannin fraction. Consumption of food rich in phytochemicals, as demonstrated here with chemically characterized raspberry extract and fractions, with well-absorbing drugs would seem to affect the permeability of some of these drugs depending on the components. Thus their effects on the absorption of drugs in-vivo cannot be excluded.

  Transgenic peas (Pisum sativum) expressing polygalacturonase inhibiting protein from raspberry (Rubus idaeus) and stilbene synthase from grape (Vitis vinifera).:Plant Cell Rep. 2006 Nov;25(11):1166-73. Epub 2006 Jun 27.Richter A, Jacobsen HJ, de Kathen A, de Lorenzo G, Briviba K, Hain R, Ramsay G, Kiesecker H.Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Hannover, Herrenh?userstr 2, 30419, Hannover, Germany

 The pea (Pisum sativum L.) varieties Baroness (United Kingdome) and Baccara (France) were transformed via Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated gene transfer with pGPTV binary vectors containing the bar gene in combination with two different antifungal genes coding for polygalacturonase-inhibiting protein (PGIP) from raspberry (Rubus idaeus L.) driven by a double 35S promoter, or the stilbene synthase (Vst1) from grape (Vitis vinifera L.) driven by its own elicitor-inducible promoter. Transgenic lines were established and transgenes combined via conventional crossing. Resveratrol, produced by Vst1 transgenic plants, was detected using HPLC and the PGIP expression was determined in functional inhibition assays against fungal polygalacturonases. Stable inheritance of the antifungal genes in the transgenic plants was demonstrated.

  Identification and dietary relevance of antioxidants from raspberry.:Biofactors. 2005;23(4):197-205. Review.Beekwilder J, Hall RD, de Vos CH.Plant Research International, Wageningen, The Netherlands. jules.beekwilder@wur.nl

 In this paper we review the current literature on antioxidants from fruit of red raspberry (Rubus idaeus) and place these in context concerning what is known from other food species. The review concentrates on the methods of antioxidant testing, the diversity of antioxidants in raspberry, effects of ripeness, cultivar, storage and processing techniques, and the bioavailability of raspberry antioxidants in humans after eating the fruit. It is clear that raspberry, like several other fruits and vegetables such as tomato, strawberry, kiwi and broccoli, represents a valuable contrasting source of potentially healthy compounds and can represent an important component of a balanced diet.


  Anti-obese action of raspberry ketone.:Life Sci. 2005 May 27;77(2):194-204. Epub 2005 Feb 25.

 Raspberry ketone (4-(4-hydroxyphenyl) butan-2-one; RK) is a major aromatic compound of red raspberry (Rubus idaeus). The structure of RK is similar to the structures of capsaicin and synephrine, compounds known to exert anti-obese actions and alter the lipid metabolism. The present study was performed to clarify whether RK helps prevent obesity and activate lipid metabolism in rodents. To test the effect on obesity, our group designed the following in vivo experiments: 1) mice were fed a high-fat diet including 0.5, 1, or 2% of RK for 10 weeks; 2) mice were given a high-fat diet for 6 weeks and subsequently fed the same high-fat diet containing 1% RK for the next 5 weeks. RK prevented the high-fat-diet-induced elevations in body weight and the weights of the liver and visceral adipose tissues (epididymal, retroperitoneal, and mesenteric). RK also decreased these weights and hepatic triacylglycerol content after they had been increased by a high-fat diet. RK significantly increased norepinephrine-induced lipolysis associated with the translocation of hormone-sensitive lipase from the cytosol to lipid droplets in rat epididymal fat cells. In conclusion, RK prevents and improves obesity and fatty liver. These effects appear to stem from the action of RK in altering the lipid metabolism, or more specifically, in increasing norepinephrine-induced lipolysis in white adipocytes.

  Antioxidants in raspberry: on-line analysis links antioxidant activity to a diversity of individual metabolites.:J Agric Food Chem. 2005 May 4;53(9):3313-20.Beekwilder J, Jonker H, Meesters P, Hall RD, van der Meer IM, Ric de Vos CH.Plant Research International, Postbus 16, 6700 AA Wageningen, The Netherlands. Jules.Beekwilder@wur.nl

 The presence of antioxidant compounds can be considered as a quality parameter for edible fruit. In this paper, we studied the antioxidant compounds in raspberry (Rubus idaeus) fruits by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled to an on-line postcolumn antioxidant detection system. Both developmental and genetic factors were assessed by comparing fruits from a single cultivar of different ripening stages and by comparing ripe fruits of 14 raspberry cultivars, respectively. The HPLC-separated antioxidant compounds were identified using HPLC-photodiode array coupled to mass spectrometry (quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry), using a reference lock mass for determining accurate masses. The dominant antioxidants could be classified as anthocyanins, ellagitannins, and proanthocyanidin-like tannins. During fruit ripening, some anthocyanins were newly produced, while others, like cyanidin-3-glucoside, were already present early in fruit development. The level of tannins, both ellagitannins and proanthocyanidin-like tannins, was reduced strongly during fruit ripening. Among the 14 cultivars, major differences (>20-fold) were observed in the levels of pelagonidin type anthocyanins and some proanthocyanidin type tannins. The content of ellagitannins varied approximately 3-fold. The findings presented here suggest that the content of individual health-promoting compounds varies significantly in raspberry, due to both developmental and genetic factors. This information will assist in the future development and identification of raspberry lines with enhanced health-promoting properties.

  Cryopreservation of in vitro-grown shoot tips of raspberry (Rubus idaeus L.) by encapsulation-vitrification and encapsulation-dehydration.:Plant Cell Rep. 2005 Jul;24(5):280-8. Epub 2005 Apr 15.Wang Q, Laamanen J, Uosukainen M, Valkonen JP.Department of Applied Biology, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 27, 00014, Helsinki, Finland.

 The first efficient cryopreservation procedure for in vitro-grown shoot tips of raspberry (Rubus idaeus L.) has been developed based on encapsulation-vitrification (EnVi) and encapsulation-dehydration (EnDe). EnVi resulted in higher survival (85%) and regrowth (75%) of cryopreserved shoot tips than EnDe (65 and 50%, respectively). In both cryogenic procedures, shoots regenerated from cryopreserved shoot tips without intermediary callus formation. Histological studies showed that a much larger number of meristematic cells survived following EnVi than EnDe. The EnVi procedure was applied to seven raspberry genotypes with an average survival and regrowth of 71 and 68%, respectively. Regenerated plants showed normal morphology. Results here indicate EnVi as a simple and efficient method for long-term preservation of R. idaeus germplasm.

  Inhibition of protein and lipid oxidation in liposomes by berry phenolics.:J Agric Food Chem. 2004 Dec 1;52(24):7419-24.Viljanen K, Kylli P, Kivikari R, Heinonen M.Department of Applied Chemistry and Microbiology, Division of Food Chemistry, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 27, FIN-00014 Helsinki, Finland. kaarina.viljanen@helsinki.fi

 The antioxidant activity of berry phenolics (at concentrations of 1.4, 4.2, and 8.4 mug of purified extracts/mL of liposome sample) such as anthocyanins, ellagitannins, and proanthocyanidins from raspberry (Rubus idaeus), bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus), lingonberry (Vaccinium vitis-idaea), and black currant (Ribes nigrum) was investigated in a lactalbumin-liposome system. The extent of protein oxidation was measured by determining the loss of tryptophan fluorescence and formation of protein carbonyl compounds and that of lipid oxidation by conjugated diene hydroperoxides and hexanal analyses. The antioxidant protection toward lipid oxidation was best provided by lingonberry and bilberry phenolics followed by black currant and raspberry phenolics. Bilberry and raspberry phenolics exhibited the best overall antioxidant activity toward protein oxidation. Proanthocyanidins, especially the dimeric and trimeric forms, in lingonberries were among the most active phenolic constituents toward both lipid and protein oxidation. In bilberries and black currants, anthocyanins contributed the most to the antioxidant effect by inhibiting the formation of both hexanal and protein carbonyls. In raspberries, ellagitannins were responsible for the antioxidant activity. While the antioxidant effect of berry proanthocyanidins and anthocyanins was dose-dependent, ellagitannins appeared to be equally active at all concentrations. In conclusion, berries are rich in monomeric and polymeric phenolic compounds providing protection toward both lipid and protein oxidation.

  Aroma extract dilution analysis of cv. Meeker (Rubus idaeus L.) red raspberries from Oregon and Washington.:J Agric Food Chem. 2004 Aug 11;52(16):5155-61.Klesk K, Qian M, Martin RR.Department of Food Science & Technology, Oregon State University, 100 Wiegand Hall, Corvallis, Oregon 97331-6602, USA.

 The aromas of cultivar Meeker red raspberry from Oregon and Washington were analyzed by aroma extract dilution analysis. Seventy-five aromas were identified [some tentatively (superscript T)] by mass spectrometry and gas chromatography-retention index; 53 were common to both, and 22 have not been previously reported in red raspberry. Twenty-one compounds had an equivalent odor impact in both: 2,5-dimethyl-4-hydroxy-3-(2H)-furanone, hexanal, 4-(2,6,6-trimethyl-1-cyclohexen-1-yl)-3-buten-2-one, (E)-beta-3,7-dimethyl-1,3,6-octatrieneT, 6,6-dimethyl-2-methylenebicyclo[3.1.1]heptaneT, 1-(2,6,6-trimethyl-1,3-cyclohexadien-1-yl)-2-buten-1-one, ethanoic acid, (Z)-3-hexenalT, 3-methylmercaptopropionaldehyde, (Z)-3-hexenol, 2,6-dimethyl-2,7-octadien-6-ol, butanoic acid, ethyl 2-methylpropanoate, (E)-2-hexenal, hexyl formateT, 2,3-butanedione, heptanalT, thiacyclopentadieneT, cyclohexane carbaldehydeT, (E)-3,7-dimethyl-2,6-octadien-1-olT, and 4-(p-hydroxyphenyl)-2-butanone. Oregon Meeker had 14 odorants with higher flavor dilution (FD) factors than Washington Meeker: 4-(2,6,6-trimethyl-2-cyclohexen-1-yl)-3-buten-2-oneT, 1-octanol, 5-isopropyl-2-methylcyclohexa-1,3-dieneT, 7-methyl-3-methylene-1,6-octadieneT, ethyl hexanoate, 3-methylbutyl acetateT, ethyl propanoate, 4-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)-2-butanoneT, 2-methylbutanoic acid, 1-octen-3-ol, ethyl cyclohexane carboxylateT, 2-methylthiacyclopentadieneT, (Z)-3-hexenyl acetateT, and 4-(2,6,6-trimethyl-2-cyclohexen-1-yl)-3-buten-2-olT. Washington Meeker had 16 odorants with higher FD factors than Oregon Meeker: 5-ethyl-3-hydroxy-4-methyl-2-(5H)-furanoneT, dimethyl sulfideT, 2-ethyl-4-hydroxy-5-methyl-3-(2H)-furanoneT, 1-hexanolT, ethyl 2-methylbutanoate, 3,7-dimethyl-1,6-octadien-3-yl acetateT, methyl hexanoate, phenyl ethanoic acidT, neo-allo-3,7-dimethyl-1,3,6-octatrieneT, 2-nonanoneT, 2-(4-methylcyclohex-3-enyl)propan-2-olT, phenylmethanolT, 5-octanolideT, 2-phenylethanol, 1-isopropyl-4-methylenebicyclo[3.1.0]hexaneT, and 2-undecanone.


  Therapeutic constituents and actions of Rubus species.:Curr Med Chem. 2004 Jun;11(11):1501-12. Review.Patel AV, Rojas-Vera J, Dacke CG.School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth, PO1 2DT, UK. asmita.sautreau@port.ac.uk

 Rubus species (family Rosaceae) have been cultivated for centuries for their fruits. These and other parts of the plants have been used traditionally for therapeutic purposes. This article highlights these and the potential they can offer. The constituents reported in the various species and those demonstrated to exhibit pharmacological properties have been reviewed. In the search for biologically active compounds, one of the most frequently documented species of the genus is the raspberry plant R. idaeus, the leaves of which have been used traditionally as a uterine relaxant and stimulant during confinement, for the treatment of diarrhoea and similar enteric disorders and as an astringent. Investigations of other Rubus species have been conducted in the last twenty-five years, and have shown possible application for a wide range of indications, including bacterial infections, anxiety, pain and inflammation.

  Kaempferol and quercetin glycosides from Rubus idaeus L. leaves.:Acta Pol Pharm. 2003 Jul-Aug;60(4):313-5.Gudej J.Department of Pharmacognosy, Medical University of L¨®d?, 1 Muszy¨½skiego Str., 90-151 L¨®d?, Poland.

 Quercetin 3-0-beta-D-glucoside (I), quercetin and kaempferol 3-0-beta-D-galactosides (II, III), kaempferol 3-0-beta-L-arabinopyranoside (IV), kaempferol 3-0-beta-D-(6''-E-p-coumaroyl)-glucoside (tiliroside) (V) and methyl gallate (VI) were isolated from Rubus idaeus L. subspecies culture of Norna leaves and fully characterized.

  Analysis of ellagitannins and conjugates of ellagic acid and quercetin in raspberry fruits by LC-MSn.:Phytochemistry. 2003 Sep;64(2):617-24.Mullen W, Yokota T, Lean ME, Crozier A.Plant Products and Human Nutrition Group, Graham Kerr Building, Division of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute of Biomedical and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, Scotland, UK.

 The use of gradient reversed phase HPLC with diode array and MS(n) detection for the analysis of ellagitannins, ellagic acid conjugates and quercetin conjugates in raspberries (Rubus idaeus L.) is described. MS(n) is a particularly powerful tool for the analysis of trace levels of natural products in impure extracts as interpretation of fragmentation patterns, coupled in some instances with knowledge of HPLC retention properties, can facilitate the partial identification of components when reference compounds are unavailable.

  Relaxant activity of raspberry (Rubus idaeus) leaf extract in guinea-pig ileum in vitro.:Phytother Res. 2002 Nov;16(7):665-8.Rojas-Vera J, Patel AV, Dacke CG. School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth, PO1 2DT, UK.

 Tea made from the leaves of Rubus idaeus L. (raspberry) has been used for centuries as a folk medicine to treat wounds, diarrhoea, colic pain and as a uterine relaxant. Extracts of dried raspberry leaves prepared with different solvents, (n-hexane, ethyl acetate, chloroform and methanol) were tested in vitro for relaxant activity on transmurally stimulated guinea-pig ileum. The methanol (MeOH) extract exhibited the largest response and also indicated that the active compounds are of a relatively polar nature. Hence the bulk of the leaves were extracted with methanol and the dried extract fractionated on a silica gel column, eluting with chloroform, mixtures of chloroform and methanol and finally methanol. Each fraction was examined by thin layer chromatography and tested for relaxant activity in an in vitro transmurally stimulated guinea-pig ileum preparation. The fractions eluted with chloroform (CHCl(3)) lacked relaxant activity. Samples eluted with CHCl(3)/MeOH (95:5) had moderate relaxant activity, while a second distinctive peak of activity eluted with a more polar solvent mixture (CHCl(3)/MeOH 50:50) provided strong dose dependent responses. Evidence was obtained that there are at least two components of raspberry leaf extract which exhibit relaxant activity in an in vitro gastrointestinal preparation.

  Ellagitannins, flavonoids, and other phenolics in red raspberries and their contribution to antioxidant capacity and vasorelaxation properties.:J Agric Food Chem. 2002 Aug 28;50(18):5191-6.Mullen W, McGinn J, Lean ME, MacLean MR, Gardner P, Duthie GG, Yokota T, Crozier A.Plant Products and Human Nutrition Group, Graham Kerr Building, Division of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute of Biomedical and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, United Kingdom.

 Analysis of extracts of Glen Ample raspberries (Rubus idaeus L.) by gradient, reverse phase HPLC with diode array and tandem mass spectrometry identified eleven anthocyanins, including cyanidin-3-sophoroside, cyanidin-3-(2(G)-glucosylrutinoside), cyanidin-3-glucoside, cyanidin-3-rutinoside, pelargonidin-3-sophoroside, pelargonidin-3-(2(G)-glucosylrutinoside), and pelargonidin-3-glucoside. Significant quantities of an ellagitannin, sanguiin H-6, with an M(r) of 1870 were detected along with lower levels of a second ellagitannin, lambertianin C, which has an M(r) of 2804. Other phenolic compounds that were detected included trace levels of ellagic acid and its sugar conjugates along with one kaempferol- and four quercetin-based flavonol conjugates. Fractionation by preparative HPLC revealed that sanguiin H-6 was a major contributor to the antioxidant capacity of raspberries together with vitamin C and the anthocyanins. Vasodilation activity was restricted to fractions containing lambertianin C and sanguiin H-6.


  Cyclooxygenase inhibitory and antioxidant cyanidin glycosides in cherries and berries.:Phytomedicine. 2001 Sep;8(5):362-9.Seeram NP, Momin RA, Nair MG, Bourquin LD.Department of Horticulture and National Food Safety and Toxicology Center, Michigan State University, East Lansing 48824, USA.

 Anthocyanins from tart cherries, Prunus cerasus L. (Rosaceae) cv. Balaton and Montmorency; sweet cherries, Prunus avium L. (Rosaceae); bilberries, Vaccinum myrtillus L. (Ericaceae); blackberries, Rubus sp. (Rosaceae); blueberries var. Jersey, Vaccinium corymbosum L. (Ericaceae); cranberries var. Early Black, Vaccinium macrocarpon Ait. (Ericaceae); elderberries, Sambucus canadensis (Caprifoliaceae); raspberries, Rubus idaeus (Rosaceae); and strawberries var. Honeoye, Fragaria x ananassa Duch. (Rosaceae), were investigated for cyclooxygenase inhibitory and antioxidant activities. The presence and levels of cyanidin-3-glucosylrutinoside 1 and cyanidin-3-rutinoside 2 were determined in the fruits using HPLC. The antioxidant activity of anthocyanins from cherries was comparable to the commercial antioxidants, tert-butylhydroquinone, butylated hydroxytoluene and butylated hydroxyanisole, and superior to vitamin E, at a test concentration of 125 microg/ml. Anthocyanins from raspberries and sweet cherries demonstrated 45% and 47% cyclooxygenase-I and cyclooxygenase-II inhibitory activities, respectively, when assayed at 125 microg/ml. The cyclooxygenase inhibitory activities of anthocyanins from these fruits were comparable to those of ibuprofen and naproxen at 10 microM concentrations. Anthocyanins 1 and 2 are present in both cherries and raspberry. The yields of pure anthocyanins 1 and 2 in 100 g Balaton and Montmorency tart cherries, sweet cherries and raspberries were 21, 16.5; 11, 5; 4.95, 21; and 4.65, 13.5 mg, respectively. Fresh blackberries and strawberries contained only anthocyanin 2 in yields of 24 and 22.5 mg/100 g, respectively. Anthocyanins 1 and 2 were not found in bilberries, blueberries, cranberries or elderberries.

  Effect of processing and storage on the antioxidant ellagic acid derivatives and flavonoids of red raspberry (Rubus idaeus) jams.:J Agric Food Chem. 2001 Aug;49(8):3651-5.Zafrilla P, Ferreres F, Tom¨¢s-Barber¨¢n FA.Laboratorio de Fitoqu¨ªmica, Department of Food Science and Technology, CEBAS (CSIC), P.O. Box 4195, Murcia 30080, Spain.

 From red raspberries, ellagic acid, its 4-arabinoside, its 4' (4' '-acetyl) arabinoside, and its 4' (4' '-acetyl)xyloside, as well as quercetin and kaempferol 3-glucosides, were identified. In addition, two unidentified ellagic acid derivatives were detected. The free radical scavenging activity of the ellagic acid derivatives was evaluated by using the DPPH method and compared to that of Trolox. All of the isolated compounds showed antioxidant activity. The effect of processing to obtain jams on raspberry phenolics was evaluated. The flavonol content decreased slightly with processing and more markedly during storage of the jams. The ellagic acid derivatives, with the exception of ellagic acid itself, remained quite stable with processing and during 6 months of jam storage. The content of free ellagic acid increased 3-fold during the storage period. The initial content (10 mg/kg of fresh weight of raspberries) increased 2-fold with processing, and it continued increasing up to 35 mg/kg after 1 month of storage of the jam. Then a slight decrease was observed until 6 months of storage had elapsed. The increase observed in ellagic acid could be explained by a release of ellagic acid from ellagitannins with the thermal treatment.

  A comparison of the composition of epicuticular wax from red raspberry (Rubus idaeus L.) and hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna Jacq.) flowers.:Phytochemistry. 2000 Sep;55(2):111-6.Griffiths DW, Robertson GW, Shepherd T, Birch AN, Gordon SC, Woodford JA.Scottish Crop Research Institute, Dunndee, UK. wgriff@scri.sari.ac.uk

 Epicuticular waxes have been characterised from the flowers of raspberry and hawthorn, on both of which adult raspberry beetles (Byturus tomentosus) can feed. The flower wax from both species had similar alkane profiles and also contained long-chain alcohols, aldehydes and fatty acids. The range of the carbon numbers detected for these classes of compounds was broadly similar in both but the relative amounts of each differed between species. Raspberry flower wax also contained fatty acid methyl esters, a group of compounds that has rarely been detected in plant epicuticular waxes, however, these were not observed in hawthorn flower wax. Long-chain alcohol-fatty acid esters with carbon numbers ranging from C36 to C48 were also detected in both plant species. However, an examination of their constituent acids indicated that in hawthorn the esters based on the C16 fatty acid predominated, whilst in raspberry flower wax, esters based on the C20 fatty acid were most abundant. Both species also contained pentacyclic triterpenoids, which accounted for, on average, over 16 and 48% of the total wax extracted from raspberry and hawthorn flowers respectively. In the former, ursolic and oleanolic acids accounted for over 90% of the pentacyclic triterpenes, whilst hawthorn flower wax, in addition to containing these acids, also contained high relative concentrations of both free and esterified alpha- and beta-amyrins.

  Antimicrobial effects of Finnish plant extracts containing flavonoids and other phenolic compounds.:Int J Food Microbiol. 2000 May 25;56(1):3-12.Rauha JP, Remes S, Heinonen M, Hopia A, K?hk?nen M, Kujala T, Pihlaja K, Vuorela H, Vuorela P.Department of Pharmacy, University of Helsinki, Finland.

 Plant phenolics, especially dietary flavonoids, are currently of growing interest owing to their supposed functional properties in promoting human health. Antimicrobial screening of 13 phenolic substances and 29 extracts prepared from Finnish plant materials against selected microbes was conducted in this study. The tests were carried out using diffusion methods with four to nine microbial species (Aspergillus niger, Bacillus subtilis, Candida albicans, Escherichia coli, Micrococcus luteus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis). Flavone, quercetin and naringenin were effective in inhibiting the growth of the organisms. The most active plant extracts were purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria L.) against Candida albicans, meadowsweet (Filipendula ulmaria (L.) Maxim.), willow herb (Epilobium angustifolium L.), cloudberry (Rubus chamaemorus L.) and raspberry (Rubus idaeus L.) against bacteria, and white birch (Betula pubescens Ehrh.), pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) and potato (Solanum tuberosum. L.) against gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus.

  Continuity and changes of breeds of fupenzi.:Zhongguo Zhong Yao Za Zhi. 1997 Jul;22(7):392-4, 446. Chinese.Wang H.Jiujiang Municipal Medicinal Company.

 Based on textual researches, it has been confirmed that Fupenzi first appeared in Han Dynasty. Both Fupenzi and Penglei had the same origin, but split up during Jin Dynasty into two different breeds. Through ages Fupenzi has been taken as the fruits of the plant Rubus of Rosaceae species. Among them, R. idaeus, R. corchorifolius and R. coreanus have long been in use. R. chingii is the new breed of modern Fupenzi.


  Scientific References:

  1.Research update:Rubus idaeus or red raspberry