Why Blueberries?

Small berry fruits, like blueberries, are popular due to their appearance, are easy to eat and have a unique taste. Blueberries belong to the Cyanococcus section of the Ericaceae family. They are known to be one of the richest sources of natural antioxidants. Blueberries are a flavorful and colorful fruit, known for their health benefits attributed to numerous bioactive compounds with various therapeutic effects. The research aims to understand the metabolic and genetic factors that influence the nutritional and sensory qualities of blueberries. They can be consumed as either fresh or processed such as snacks, desserts, fruit salads, and with ice cream, yogurt or processed products such as frozen berries into conserves, purees and juices, dried fruit. They are rich in organic acids phenolic compounds that protect human against a wide variety of diseases since blueberry has high antioxidant activity. In this review, blueberry worldwide production trend and the effect of blueberry nutrient content on human health will be discussed. And there are also some studies carried out in recent years to determine the chemical composition such as sugars, organic acids and phenolic compounds by advanced methodologies in blueberry fruits. This review could be beneficial for future studies will be conducted on blueberry production and its nutritional content. .

Validation of a SPME-GC Method for Azoxystrobin and Pyraclostrobin in Blueberries, and Their Degradation Kinetics

Analytical method for the residues of strobilurins azoxystrobin and pyraclostrobin in blueberries was developed. Fungicide residues were determined by solid-phase microextraction (SPME) cou-pled to gas chromatography with micro-electron capture detector. The effect of pH values and fiber coatings were studied. The SPME fiber coating selected was 100 μm PDMS. The method is selective with adequate precision and high accuracy and sensitivity. Recoveries ranged within the 100% - 106% range for azoxystrobin, and 96% - 106% range for pyraclostrobin;and detection and quantification limits were 2.0 and 6.0 μg/kg for azoxystrobin, and 26.0 and 86.0 μg/kg for py-raclostrobin, respectively. Statistical parameters indicated the occurrence of matrix effect;con-sequently calibration was performed on spiked samples. Degradation of azoxystrobin and pyra-clostrobin was studied in blueberry fields located in Concordia, Argentina, with fruits from Emerald and Jewel varieties. The degradation of these fungicides in both blueberry varieties studied followed a first order rate kinetics, and the half-life for azoxystrobin was 11.6 and 17.8 days for Emerald and Jewel cultivars;and for pyraclostrobin was 5.5 and 8.0 days, respectively.

Efficacy of Reduced-Risk Insecticides to Control Flower Thrips in Early-Season Blueberries and Their Effect on <i>Orius insidiosus</i>, a Natural Enemy of Flower Thrips

Flower thrips are one of the key pests in production of southern highbush blueberries (Vaccinium corymbosum L. × V. darrowi Camp). They feed on the reproductive parts of the flower and reduce yield. Very few insecticides are available to manage thrips population. Therefore, it is necessary to evaluate pre-existing and experimental insecticides for their efficacy against thrips. There is also a high demand for reduced-risk insecticides that are less toxic to beneficial insects and the environment. In this study, a number of conventional and reduced-risk insecticides were evaluated against flower thrips on farms in Florida and Georgia and in the laboratory. The best performing insecticides were also evaluated in the laboratory for their effects on Orius insidiosus Say, which is a common thrips’ predator in Florida. Assail 70WP (Acetamiprid) and SpinTor 2SC (Spinosad) were the most promising insecticides in reducing thrips numbers in the field as well as in laboratory experiments. SpinTor 2SC killed all of the thrips in laboratory arenas within 4 hours of application and showed low toxicity toward O. insidiosus. All of the compounds tested performed as well as the conventional pesticide malathion.

Evaluation of sugar and organic acid composition and their levels in highbush blueberries from two regions of China

Sweet and sour are the most important taste of blueberries,and they are produced by sugar and acid,respectively.Their contributions to the taste depend not only on the levels of sugar and acid,but also on the types and relative proportions of sugar and acid.Therefore,it is very important to evaluate the composition and levels of sugar and acid in blueberries.Regional differences and variety diversity also affect the sugar and acid characteristics of fruits.Therefore,this study selected two main producing regions in northern China(Weihai and Yingkou)to examine the sugar and acid characteristics of 11 common blueberry cultivars.The indexes measured included soluble sugars,organic acids,soluble solid content and titratable acidity.The results showed that glucose and fructose were the major sugars,and citric acid and quinic acid were the major organic acids.Correlation analysis showed that glucose,fructose,and sucrose were positively correlated with total sugar content;the citric acid content was positively correlated with the titratable acidity and total organic acids.Titratable acidity,glucose,fructose,sucrose,total sugar content,citric acid,shikimic acid and total acid content of the blueberries varied significantly between regions(P<0.05).In general,compared with Weihai blueberries,Yingkou blueberries had higher sugar content and lower acid content.The results of this study may provide useful references for the evaluation of sweet and sour flavors and cultivar selection of blueberries.

Major Diseases and Pests of Blueberry in Guizhou Province and Progress in Their Prevention and Control

As the blueberry industry continues to evolve,the effective control of its diseases and pests has become an essential component of local agricultural development.This paper provides a comprehensive overview of the principal types of blueberry diseases and pests in Guizhou Province,along with the corresponding control measures,in order to serve as a valuable reference for blueberry growers.

Characterization of blueberry exosome-like nanoparticles and miRNAs with potential cross-kingdom human gene targets

Edible plant derived exosome-like nanoparticles(ELNs)have been shown to have multiple nutraceutical functions.However,the diversity of plant materials makes the plant derived ELN study challenging.More efforts are still needed to explore the feasible isolation methods of edible plant derived ELNs and the possible roles of food-derived ELNs in improving human health.In this study,a size exclusion chromatography based method was compared with the traditional ultracentrifugation method to isolate blueberry derived ELNs(B-ELNs),and the miRNA profile of B-ELNs was analyzed by high-throughput sequencing.A total of 36 miRNAs were found to be enriched in B-ELNs compared with berry tissue,and their potential cross-kingdom human gene targets were further predicted.Results showed that size exclusion chromatography was effective for B-ELN isolation.The most abundant miRNAs in B-ELNs mainly belonged to the miR166 family and miR396 family.Target gene prediction indicated that B-ELNs could potentially regulate pathways related to the human digestive system,immune system and infectious diseases.

Blueberry anthocyanins extract attenuates oxidative stress and angiogenesis on an in vitro high glucose-induced retinopathy model through the miR-33/GLCCI1 axis

Background:Diabetes retinopathy(DR)is a complication of diabetes that affects patients’vision.Previous studies have found blueberry anthocyanins extract(BAE)can inhibit the progression of DR,but its mechanism is not completely clear.Methods:To study the role of BAE in diabetes retinopathy,we treated human retinal endothelial cells(HRCECs)with 30 mM high glucose to simulate the microenvironment of diabetes retinopathy and used BAE to intervene the in vitro high glucose-induced retinopathy model.HRCEC cell viability and apoptosis rates were examined by Cell Counting Kit 8(CCK-8)assay and flow cytometry assay.The binding sites between miR-33 and glucocorticoid-induced transcript 1(GLCCI1)were assessed by luciferase reporter assay.Retinal neovascularization and oxidative stress contribute to diabetic retinopathy.The tubule formation assay was applied to detect the retinal neovascularization.The oxidative stress in the HRCECs was manifested by the reactive oxygen species(ROS)level,the malondialdehyde(MDA)level,and the superoxide dismutase(SOD)activity.Results:Compared with HRCECs cells cultured under normal conditions,high glucose(HG)can induce oxidative stress in HRCRCs,specifically manifested in the increase of ROS and MDA levels,and the decrease of SOD activity.BAE relieved the tubule formation in n the HRCEC.BAE also relieved the ROS and MDA levels and increased the SOD activity.Luciferase reporter assay revealed that GLCCI1 is a target molecule downstream of miR-33.In HRCEC,BAE significantly inhibited the expression of miR-33 induced by HG.miR-33 mimic inhibited the BAE’s effects on oxidative stress and angiogenesis in an in vitro high glucose-induced retinopathy model.Conclusion:BAE alleviated the oxidative stress and microangiogenesis of HRCEC by regulating the miR-33/GLCCI1 axis.

Antioxidant and antitumor effects and immunomodulatory activities of crude and purified polyphenol extract from blueberries

The antioxidant and antitumor effects as well as the immunomodulatory activities of crude and purified polyphenol extract from blueberries were investigated. The antioxidant and antitumor effects of the polyphenol extract were measured both in vitro and in vivo, and their effect on the immune systems of CD-1 tumor-bearing mice were also analyzed. In vitro assays demonstrated that blueberry purified polyphenol extract （BBPP） exhibited higher antioxidant activities than blueberry crude polyphenol extract （BBCP）, but the opposite effect was observed in vivo. Both the in vitro and in vivo antitumor activity and the immunity assay showed that BBCP not only inhibited tumor growth, but also significantly improved the immunity of the mice. According to physical and histological studies, the CD-1 tumor-bearing mice treated with the polyphenol extract, especially high doses of BBCP experienced a higher quality of life than the positive control group （treated with cyclophosphamide）. These results indicate that BBCP has significant antioxidant and antitumor activities and that it can enhance the immunity of CD-1 tumor-bearing mice.

Genome-Wide Analysis of the F3′5′H Gene Family in Blueberry(Vaccinium corymbosum L.)Provides Insights into the Regulation of Anthocyanin Biosynthesis

The F3′5′H gene family plays an important role in regulating anthocyanin biosynthesis,abiotic stress,and hormone signaling.In this study,14 F3′5′H genes were identified from the blueberry genome.The chromosomal distribution,physicochemical properties,F3′5′H domain,conserved motifs,cis-acting elements,and intron/exon compositions were analyzed.The functional prediction analysis of these VcF3′5′Hs indicated that their biological functions included light response and other secondary metabolites.The results of qRT-PCR showed that VcF3′5′Hs(especially VcF3′5′H4)were highly expressed at the ripening stage.Subcellular localization revealed that VcF3′5′H4 may be located in the endoplasmic reticulum.Co-expression analysis showed that the VcF3′5′H gene family was related to anthocyanin.This research provides an overview of the blueberry F3′5′H family and helps verify the role of these genes in regulating anthocyanin biosynthesis.

Optimization of Intermittent Variable Power Microwave Heating Process for Blueberry Pulp

To improve heating uniformity and anthocyanin content of the blueberry pulp under microwave heating,the intermittent variable power microwave heating technology was introduced in the study.The effects of technology parameters in terms of high microwave intensity heating time,intermittent time,low microwave intensity and low microwave intensity heating time on the blueberry pulp quality parameters(heating uniformity,average moisture content,the highest temperature and anthocyanin content)were investigated by using the response surface method.The results showed that the longer heating time under different microwave intensities resulted in the poorer heating uniformity.The intermittent stage promoted heat and mass transfer within the pulp and reduced the temperature difference and moisture gradient within the pulp,which enhanced desired uniformity of temperature and moisture distribution before entering the low microwave intensity heating stage.Therefore,the longer the intermittent time,the greater the heating uniformity.The optimal parameters were developed as high microwave intensity of 4 W·g^(-1),high microwave intensity heating time of 9.86 min,intermittent time of 10 min,low microwave intensity of 2.2 W·g^(-1)and low microwave intensity heating time of 6 min.This research might provide guidance for microwave heating berry fruits.

溶剂萃取法提取蓝莓中花色苷

1引言蓝莓（Blueberry）,又称越橘、蓝浆果,属杜鹃花科（Ericaceae）越橘属（Vaccinium spp）多年生落叶或常绿灌木。蓝莓果实呈深蓝色,含有丰富的花色苷。花色苷是花色素与糖以糖苷键结合而成的黄酮多酚类化合物,结构性质稳定,花色素的基本结构为3,5,7-三羟基-2-苯基苯并吡喃,由于苯环中取代基、羟基和甲氧基位置和数量不同,

Adaptability of Some Blueberry Species in Tianjin

[Objective] The aim was to research the adaptability of 8 blueberry species in Tianjin. [Method] With 8 blueberry species as materials, blueberry was explored in terms of plant characters, the type of fruit-bearing branch, phenological phase, fruit economic characters, and yielding capacity. [Result] Al blueberry species were suitable to be grown in Tianjin with improved soils, showing blueberry growth characters, without any virus or diseases. General y speaking, species B, C, D, E, F and G can be grown in soils exposed to the air as fresh food; species A and H are suitable to be cultivation; species C tastes sour, which can be planted for further production. [Conclusion] The research provides references for blueberry introduction, selection, and cultivation in the region with similar ecological characters.

Study on Grafting and Cultivation of ‘Spartan'Blueberry

The results of grafting improvement and cultivation trials in the Yangtze River Delta of China showed that the rootstock cultivar had a great influence on plant growth and development, fruit yield and quality of ＂Spartan＂ blueberry. Among the seven rootstock-scion combinations, the northern highbush blueberry （Vaccinium corymbosum） cultivar ＂Croaton＇-＇Spartan＇ combination showed well-healed graft unions, large branch amount, early fruit bearing, high yield, excellent fruit quality and almost no tillers. As a kind of rootstock, ＂Croaton＇ was better than non-grafted ＇Spartan＇ and the two rabbiteye blueberry cultivars ＇Premier＇ and ＇Gardenblue＇. The grafting pattern showed no significant stimulating effect on the plant growth and development, fruit yield and quality of ＇Spartan＇ blueberry in this area, but the overall performance of greenwood cleft grafting was better than that of inlaid bud grafting. Suitable rootstock cultivar and grafting pattern significantly improve plant arowth and development, fruit vield and aualitv of ＇Spartan＇ blueberry.

Nondestructive Determination of Moisture Content in Dry Fruits by Impedance and Phase Angle Measurements

An electronic method to estimate the moisture content (MC) of dry fruits by measuring the impedance (Z) and phase angle (θ) of a cylindrical parallel-plate capacitor with dry fruit sample between the plates, using a CI meter (Chari’s Impedance meter) at 1 and 9 MHz is described. Capacitance C was derived from Z and θ, and using the C, θ, and Z values of a set of dried cherries, whose MC values were later determined by the vacuum hot air-oven method, a calibration equation was developed. Using this equation, and their measured C, θ, and Z values, the MC of a group of cherries, not used in the calibration, was predicted. The predicted values were compared with their air-oven values. Similar predictions were done using the same method on dried blueberries. The method worked well with a good R2 value, and showed a low standard error of prediction (SEP) in the measured MC range between 5% and 30% for cherries, and 9% and 22% for blueberries.

Blueberry Extract Reduces Oxidative Stress in Patients with Metabolic Syndrome

Oxidative stress is a health condition that could potentially harm the patient, and it is defined as the lack of balance between the production of oxygen free radicals, which rises, and antioxidant defenses, which are in decrease. Metabolic syndrome implies a variety of risk factors that are based on abdominal obesity and insulin resistance. Moreover, the importance of metabolic syndrome is emphasized due to the fact that it presents an increase in oxidative stress, which is produced by the sum of alterations that each risk factor produces within the metabolic syndrome pathology. Reducing oxidative stress in these patients is currently one of the most interesting challenges of cardiovascular and metabolic therapeutics, because it is a molecular biology alteration that is not generally diagnosed and, therefore, not treated. The increasing incidence of overweight and obesity cause an increase in the incidence of metabolic syndrome, thus turning into a huge problem that keeps growing at alarming proportions. This syndrome＇s incidence oscillates between 20 and 40%, depending on the gender, age, ethnic group, and diagnostic criteria used for the definition of the disease. Prospective studies show that metabolic syndrome doubles the risk of cardiovascular disease and causes a five-fold increase in the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. With the aim of decreasing the oxidative stress caused by metabolic syndrome, we investigated the effect of antioxidant protection in DNA repair and cell membranes through the use of blueberry extract, which is the fruit with the highest antioxidant capacity, in patients with metabolic syndrome. Thirty patients were studied for a period of 6 months of intervention, and it could be demonstrated that they showed a highly significant decrease in the damage produced to the DNA, which was measured by the urinary excretion of 8-hydroxy-2＇-deoxyguanosine （8-OHdG） and the damage caused to the vascular endothelium and cell membranes, which was measured through the urinary excretion of F2-isoprostane. Based on our knowledge, this investigation is the first one to show that lyophilized blueberry extract （BlueKing~） as a dietary supplement, with meals, is an additional therapeutic tool of great value for the treatment of oxidative stress through DNA and cell membrane protection in patients with metabolic syndrome.

Effects of blueberry on hepatic fibrosis and transcription factor Nrf2 in rats

AIM:To investigate the effects of blueberry on hepatic fibrosis and NF-E2-related factor 2(Nrf2) transcription factor in rats.METHODS:Forty-five male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into control group(A);CCl4-induced hepatic fibrosis group(B);blueberry prevention group(C);Dan-shao-hua-xian capsule(DSHX) prevention group(D);and blueberry + DSHX prevention group(E).Liver fibrosis was induced in rats by subcutaneous injection of CCl4 and a high-lipid/low-protein diet for 8 wk(except the control group).The level of hyaluronic acid(HA) and alanine aminotransferase(ALT) in serum was examined.The activity of superoxide dismutase(SOD),glutathione-S-transferase(GST) and malondialdehyde(MDA) in liver homogenates was determined.The degree of hepatic fibrosis was evaluated by hematoxylin and eosin and Masson staining.Expression of Nrf2 and NADPH quinone oxidoreductase 1(Nqo1) was detected by real-time reversed transcribed-polymerase chain reaction,immunohistochemical techniques,and western blotting.RESULTS:Compared with group B,liver indices,levels of serum HA and ALT of groups C,D and E were reduced(liver indices:0.038 ± 0.008,0.036 ± 0.007,0.036 ± 0.005 vs 0.054 ± 0.009,P<0.05;HA:502.33 ± 110.57 ng/mL,524.25 ± 255.42 ng/mL,499.25 ± 198.10 ng/mL vs 828.50 ± 237.83 ng/mL,P<0.05;ALT:149.44 ± 16.51 U/L,136.88 ± 10.07 U/L,127.38 ± 11.03 U/L vs 203.25 ± 31.62 U/L,P<0.05),and SOD level was significantly higher,but MDA level was lower,in liver homogenates(SOD:1.36 ± 0.09 U/mg,1.42 ± 0.13 U/mg,1.50 ± 0.15 U/mg vs 1.08 ± 0.19 U/mg,P<0.05;MDA:0.294 ± 0.026 nmol/mg,0.285 ± 0.025 nmol/mg,0.284 ± 0.028 nmol/mg vs 0.335 ± 0.056 nmol/mg,P<0.05).Meanwhile,the stage of hepatic fibrosis was significantly weakened(P<0.05).Compared with group A,the activity of GST liver homogenates and expression levels of Nrf2 and Nqo1 in group B were elevated(P<0.05).The expression level of Nrf2 and Nqo1 in groups C,D,and E were increased as compared with group B,but the difference was not significant.CONCLUSION:Blueberry has preventive and protective effects on CCl4-induced hepatic fibrosis by reducing hepatocyte injury and lipid peroxidation.However,these effects may not be related to the activation of Nrf2 during long-term of CCl4.

Effect of blueberry on hepatic and immunological functions in mice

BACKGROUND: Conventional drugs used in the treatment and prevention of liver diseases often have side effects, therefore research into natural substances are of significance. This study examined the effects of blueberry on liver protection and cellular immune functions. METHODS: To determine the effects of blueberry on liver protective function, male mice were orally administered blueberry (0.6 g/10 g) or normal saline for 21 days. Hepatic RNA was extracted by Trizol reagent, and the expression of Nrf2, HO-1, and Nqol was determined by real-time RTPCR. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) and malondialdehyde (MDA) in liver homogenate were determined, and liver index was measured. To assess the effects of blueberry on cellular immune function, male mice received blueberry (0.4, 0.6, or 0.8 g/10 g) for 35 days, and the percentages of CD3(+), CD41(+), and CDS(+) T lymphocyte subgroups in peripheral blood were detected by flow cytometry, the index of the thymus and spleen was measured, and lymphocyte proliferation in the spleen was determined by MTT assay. RESULTS: Blueberry treatment significantly increased the expression of Nrf2, HO-1, and Nqol, the important antioxidant components in the liver. Hepatic SOD in the blueberry group was higher and MDA was lower than that in the control group (P<0.05). Blueberry also increased the index of the spleen and enhanced the proliferation of lymphocytes of the spleen (P<0.05). The percentages of the CD3(+) and CDA(+) T lymphocyte subsets and the CD4(+)/CD8(+) ratio were also increased by blueberry (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Blueberry induces expression of Nrf2, HO-1, and Nqol, which can protect hepatocytes from oxidative stress. In addition, blueberry can modulate T-cell function in mice. (Hepatobiliary Pancreat Dis Int 2010; 9: 164-168)

High-throughput sequencing of highbush blueberry transcriptome and analysis of basic helix-loop-helix transcription factors

The highbush blueberry（Vaccinium corymbosum）,Duke,was used to construct a de novo transcriptome sequence library and to perform data statistical analysis.Mega 4,CLC Sequence Viewer 6 software,and quantitative PCR were employed for bioinformatics and expression analyses of the basic helix-loop-helix（BHLH）transcription factors of the sequencing library.The results showed that 28.38 gigabytes of valid data were obtained from transcriptome sequencing and were assembled into 108 033 unigenes.Functional annotation showed that 32 244 unigenes were annotated into Clusters of Orthologous Groups（COG）and Gene Ontology（GO）databases,whereas the rest of the 75 789 unigenes had no matching information.By using COG and GO classification tools,sequences with annotation information were divided into 25 and 52 categories,respectively,which involved transport and metabolism,transcriptional regulation,and signal transduction.Analysis of the transcriptome library identified a total of 59 BHLH genes.Sequence analysis revealed that 55 genes of that contained a complete BHLH domain.Furthermore,phylogenetic analysis showed that BHLH genes of blueberry（Duke）could be divided into 13 sub-groups.PCR results showed that 45 genes were expressed at various developmental stages of buds,stems,leaves,flowers,and fruits,suggesting that the function of BHLH was associated with the development of different tissues and organs of blueberry,Duke.The present study would provided a foundation for further investigations on the classification and functions of the blueberry BHLH family.

Cyanidin-3-O-galactoside and Blueberry Extracts Supplementation Improves Spatial Memory and Regulates Hippocampal ERK Expression in Senescence-accelerated Mice

Objective To investigate whether the antioxidation and the regulation on the Extracellular Regulated Protein Kinases （ERK） signaling pathway are involved in the protective effects of blueberry on central nervous system. Methods 30 Senescence-accelerated mice prone 8 （SAMP8） mice were divided into three groups and treated with normal diet, blueberry extracts （200 mg/kg.bw/day） and cyaniding-3-O-galactoside （Cy-3-GAL） （50 mg/kg.bw/day） from blueberry for 8 weeks. 10 SAMR1 mice were set as control group. The capacity of spatial memory was assessed by Passive avoidance task and Morris water maze. Histological analyses on hippocampus were completed. Malondialdehyde （MDA） levels, Superoxide Dismutase （SOD） activity and the expression of ERK were detected. Results Both Cy-3-GAL and blueberry extracts were shown effective functions to relieve cellular injury, improve hippocampal neurons survival and inhibit the pyramidal cell layer damage. Cy-3-GAL and blueberry extracts also increased SOD activity and reduced MDA content in brain tissues and plasma, and increased hippocampal phosphorylated ERK （p-ERK） expression in SAMP8 mice. Further more, the passive avoidance task test showed that both the latency time and the number of errors were improved by Cy-3-GAL treatment, and the Morris Water Maze test showed significant decreases of latency were detected by Cy-3-GAL and blueberry extracts treatment on day 4. Conclusion Blueberry extracts may reverse the declines of cognitive and behavioral function in the ageing process through several pathways, including enhancing the capacity of antioxidation, altering stress signaling. Cy-3-GAL may be an important active ingredient for these biological effects.

Comparison of Different Cultivars of Blueberry Overwintering Ability in Qingdao of China

In order to select severe overwintering abilitied blueberry cultivars for cold resistance of annual branches, promoting breeding high quality cultivars, a study had been conducted into field-planting shoots overwintering ability and the relative conductivity, MDA content, SOD of 7 different kinds of blueberries under artificial cooling process. According to survey results, under field conditions, Different cultivars of blueberries showed significantly difference, ranging from 56.67% of Bluegold to 12.80% of Darrow. With the temperature decreasing, changes of relative conductivity, MDA content and SOD in annual branches had a strong regularity and the hardiness of these cultivars is: Northland > Chippewa > Coville > Bluecroup > Darrow > Bluegold > Powderblue.