{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,20]],"date-time":"2026-01-20T09:49:44Z","timestamp":1768902584623,"version":"3.49.0"},"reference-count":30,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"2","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2010,2,21]],"date-time":"2010-02-21T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1266710400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/3.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Nutrients"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Berries contain significant amounts of phytochemicals, including polyphenols, which are reported to reduce cancer risk, coronary heart disease and other degenerative diseases. These effects are mainly attributed to the antioxidant capacity of polyphenols found in berries. Strawberry tree (Arbutus unedo) berries are used in folk medicine but seldom eaten as fresh fruits. Their phenolic profile and antioxidant capacity reveal a high potential, but they are not well characterized as a \u201chealth promoting food\u201d. The aim of this study was to assess the antioxidant properties of the edible strawberry tree fruit in vitro and in a neurodegeneration cell model. Raspberry (Rubus idaeus), a well documented health-promoting fruit, was used as a control for comparison purposes. A. unedo yielded a similar content in polyphenols and a slightly lower value of total antioxidant capacity in comparison to R. idaeus. Although the chemically-measured antioxidant activity was similar between both fruits, R. idaeus increased neuroblastoma survival in a neurodegeneration cell model by 36.6% whereas A. unedo extracts caused no effect on neuroblastoma viability. These results clearly demonstrate that a promising level of chemically-determined antioxidant activity of a plant extract is not necessarily correlated with biological significance, as assessed by the effect of A. unedo fruit in a neurodegeneration cell model.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/nu2020214","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2010,2,23]],"date-time":"2010-02-23T11:22:12Z","timestamp":1266924132000},"page":"214-229","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":91,"title":["Antioxidant Properties and Neuroprotective Capacity of Strawberry Tree Fruit (Arbutus unedo)"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"2","author":[{"given":"Sofia","family":"Fortalezas","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Disease & Stress Biology, Instituto de Tecnologia Qu\u00edmica e Biol\u00f3gica, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, 2781-901 Oeiras, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Luc\u00e9lia","family":"Tavares","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Disease & Stress Biology, Instituto de Tecnologia Qu\u00edmica e Biol\u00f3gica, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, 2781-901 Oeiras, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Rui","family":"Pimp\u00e3o","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Disease & Stress Biology, Instituto de Tecnologia Qu\u00edmica e Biol\u00f3gica, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, 2781-901 Oeiras, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Meenu","family":"Tyagi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Disease & Stress Biology, Instituto de Tecnologia Qu\u00edmica e Biol\u00f3gica, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, 2781-901 Oeiras, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Vera","family":"Pontes","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Disease & Stress Biology, Instituto de Tecnologia Qu\u00edmica e Biol\u00f3gica, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, 2781-901 Oeiras, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Paula M.","family":"Alves","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Animal Cell Technology Unit, Instituto de Tecnologia Qu\u00edmica e Biol\u00f3gicaUniversidade Nova de Lisboa\/Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnol\u00f3gica, 2781-901 Oeiras, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Gordon","family":"McDougall","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Plant Products and Food Quality Programme, Scottish Crop Research Institute, Dundee, DD2 5DA, Scotland, UK"}]},{"given":"Derek","family":"Stewart","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Plant Products and Food Quality Programme, Scottish Crop Research Institute, Dundee, DD2 5DA, Scotland, UK"}]},{"given":"Ricardo B.","family":"Ferreira","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Disease & Stress Biology, Instituto de Tecnologia Qu\u00edmica e Biol\u00f3gica, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, 2781-901 Oeiras, Portugal"},{"name":"Departamento de Bot\u00e2nica e Engenharia Biol\u00f3gica, Instituto Superior de Agronomia, Universidade T\u00e9cnica de Lisboa, Tapada da Ajuda, 1349-017 Lisboa, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Cl\u00e1udia N.","family":"Santos","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Disease & Stress Biology, Instituto de Tecnologia Qu\u00edmica e Biol\u00f3gica, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, 2781-901 Oeiras, Portugal"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2010,2,21]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"61","DOI":"10.1159\/000085386","article-title":"Unique properties of polyphenol stilbenes in the brain: More than direct antioxidant actions; gene\/protein regulatory activity","volume":"14","author":"Dore","year":"2005","journal-title":"Neurosignals"},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"304","DOI":"10.1016\/j.freeradbiomed.2004.04.012","article-title":"Catechin polyphenols: Neurodegeneration and neuroprotection in neurodegenerative diseases","volume":"37","author":"Mandel","year":"2004","journal-title":"Free Radic. Biol. Med."},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1307","DOI":"10.1080\/1071576021000049890","article-title":"Amyloid beta-peptide (1-42)-induced oxidative stress and neurotoxicity: Implications for neurodegeneration in alzheimer's disease brain","volume":"36","author":"Butterfield","year":"2002","journal-title":"A review. Free Radic. Res."},{"key":"ref_4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"111","DOI":"10.1080\/10284150500078117","article-title":"Anthocyanins in aged blueberry-fed rats are found centrally and may enhance memory","volume":"8","author":"Galli","year":"2005","journal-title":"Nutr. Neurosci."},{"key":"ref_5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"211","DOI":"10.1016\/S0006-8993(00)02280-0","article-title":"Antioxidant-rich diets improve cerebellar physiology and motor learning in aged rats","volume":"866","author":"Bickford","year":"2000","journal-title":"Brain Res."},{"key":"ref_6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2251","DOI":"10.1002\/jsfa.2671","article-title":"Beneficial effects of berry fruit polyphenols on neuronal and behavioral aging","volume":"86","author":"Lau","year":"2006","journal-title":"J. Sci. Food Agric."},{"key":"ref_7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"636","DOI":"10.1021\/jf072505f","article-title":"Berry fruit supplementation and the aging brain","volume":"56","author":"Lau","year":"2008","journal-title":"J. Agric. Food Chem."},{"key":"ref_8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"171","DOI":"10.1006\/jfca.1999.0868","article-title":"Sugar, non-volatile and phenolic acids composition of strawberry tree (Arbutus unedo L. var.Ellipsoidea ) fruits","volume":"13","author":"Ayaz","year":"2000","journal-title":"J. Food Comp. Anal."},{"key":"ref_9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"27","DOI":"10.1006\/jfca.2000.0962","article-title":"The Arbutus berry: Studies on its color and chemical characteristics at two mature stages","volume":"14","author":"Leitao","year":"2001","journal-title":"J. Food Comp. Anal."},{"key":"ref_10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"273","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jfca.2007.11.006","article-title":"Characterization of the antioxidant composition of strawberry tree (Arbutus unedo L.) fruits","volume":"21","author":"Pallauf","year":"2008","journal-title":"J. Food Comp. Anal."},{"key":"ref_11","first-page":"630","article-title":"Antihyperglycemic activity of Arbutus unedo, Ammoides pusilla and Thymelaea hirsuta","volume":"62","author":"Bnouham","year":"2007","journal-title":"Pharmazie."},{"key":"ref_12","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"10234","DOI":"10.1021\/jf062230o","article-title":"Phenolics of Arbutus unedo L. (ericaceae) fruits: Identification of anthocyanins and gallic acid derivatives","volume":"54","author":"Pawlowska","year":"2006","journal-title":"J. Agric. Food Chem."},{"key":"ref_13","first-page":"245","article-title":"Qualitative and quantitative analysis of flavonoids of the strawberry tree-Arbutus unedo L. (ericaceae)","volume":"56","author":"Males","year":"2006","journal-title":"Acta Pharm."},{"key":"ref_14","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"218","DOI":"10.1016\/j.phytochem.2006.10.014","article-title":"Antiproliferative activity is predominantly associated with ellagitannins in raspberry extracts","volume":"68","author":"Ross","year":"2007","journal-title":"Phytochemistry"},{"key":"ref_15","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"266","DOI":"10.1016\/j.foodchem.2009.04.116","article-title":"Berry juices, teas, antioxidants and the prevention of atherosclerosis in hamsters","volume":"118","author":"Rouanet","year":"2010","journal-title":"Food Chem."},{"key":"ref_16","unstructured":"Zhang, L., Li, J., Hogan, S., Chung, H., Welbaum, G.E., and Zhou, K. Inhibitory effect of raspberries on starch digestive enzyme and their antioxidant properties and phenolic composition. Food Chem., in Press."},{"key":"ref_17","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1371","DOI":"10.1016\/j.tiv.2008.02.003","article-title":"Peroxide-induced cell death and lipid peroxidation in c6 glioma cells","volume":"22","author":"Linden","year":"2008","journal-title":"Toxicol. In Vitro"},{"key":"ref_18","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1307","DOI":"10.1002\/1097-0010(200007)80:9<1307::AID-JSFA638>3.0.CO;2-P","article-title":"Antioxidant properties of domesticated and wild Rubus species","volume":"80","author":"Deighton","year":"2000","journal-title":"J. Sci. Food Agric."},{"key":"ref_19","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"140","DOI":"10.1021\/jf9908345","article-title":"Antioxidant activity in fruits and leaves of blackberry, raspberry, and strawberry varies with cultivar and developmental stage","volume":"48","author":"Wang","year":"2000","journal-title":"J. Agric. Food Chem."},{"key":"ref_20","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"375","DOI":"10.3109\/10715769509145649","article-title":"The relative antioxidant activities of plant-derived polyphenolic flavonoids","volume":"22","author":"Miller","year":"1995","journal-title":"Free Radic. Res."},{"key":"ref_21","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1094","DOI":"10.1002\/(SICI)1097-0010(20000515)80:7<1094::AID-JSFA569>3.0.CO;2-1","article-title":"Proanthocyanidins and tannin-like compounds - nature, occurrence, dietary intake and effects on nutrition and health","volume":"80","author":"Scalbert","year":"2000","journal-title":"J. Sci. Food Agric."},{"key":"ref_22","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"13","DOI":"10.1016\/S0308-8146(03)00160-2","article-title":"Evaluation of the antioxidant properties of fruits","volume":"84","year":"2004","journal-title":"Food Chem."},{"key":"ref_23","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"3313","DOI":"10.1021\/jf047880b","article-title":"Antioxidants in raspberry: On-line analysis links antioxidant activity to a diversity of individual metabolites","volume":"53","author":"Beekwilder","year":"2005","journal-title":"J. Agric. Food Chem."},{"key":"ref_24","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"185","DOI":"10.1016\/S1369-5266(03)00011-6","article-title":"Paradoxical effects of chemicals in the diet on health","volume":"6","author":"Trewavas","year":"2003","journal-title":"Curr. Opin. Plant Biol."},{"key":"ref_25","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"285","DOI":"10.1016\/S0165-6147(00)01719-3","article-title":"Hormesis: U-shaped dose responses and their centrality in toxicology","volume":"22","author":"Calabrese","year":"2001","journal-title":"Trends Pharmacol Sci."},{"key":"ref_26","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"15","DOI":"10.1146\/annurev.publhealth.22.1.15","article-title":"U-shaped dose-responses in biology, toxicology, and public health","volume":"22","author":"Calabrese","year":"2001","journal-title":"Annu. Rev. Public Health."},{"key":"ref_27","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"331","DOI":"10.1016\/S0165-6147(02)02034-5","article-title":"Applications of hormesis in toxicology, risk assessment and chemotherapeutics","volume":"23","author":"Calabrese","year":"2002","journal-title":"Trends Pharmacol. Sci."},{"key":"ref_28","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"144","DOI":"10.5344\/ajev.1965.16.3.144","article-title":"Colorimetry of total phenolics with phosphomolybdic-phosphotungstic acid reagents","volume":"16","author":"Singleton","year":"1965","journal-title":"Am. J. Enol. Vitic."},{"key":"ref_29","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"303","DOI":"10.1016\/0891-5849(93)90027-R","article-title":"Oxygen-radical absorbance capacity assay for antioxidants","volume":"14","author":"Cao","year":"1993","journal-title":"Free Rad. Biol. Med."},{"key":"ref_30","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"235","DOI":"10.1002\/pca.777","article-title":"Validated methods for the quantification of biologically active constituents of poplar-type propolis","volume":"15","author":"Popova","year":"2004","journal-title":"Phytochem. Anal."}],"container-title":["Nutrients"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2072-6643\/2\/2\/214\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,11]],"date-time":"2025-10-11T22:01:30Z","timestamp":1760220090000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2072-6643\/2\/2\/214"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2010,2,21]]},"references-count":30,"journal-issue":{"issue":"2","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2010,2]]}},"alternative-id":["nu2020214"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/nu2020214","relation":{},"ISSN":["2072-6643"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2072-6643","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2010,2,21]]}}}