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Bioactives

Strawberries are a superpower among the commercially successful fruits, having a global annual production of over 4 million tons, and a global export trade value of about 1.8 billion Euros according to the European Fresh Produce Association. Global strawberry exports showed an approximately 41 % increase in value between 2008 and 2012, and there is no slowing down in sight. The industry is expected to keep growing, especially in light of the growing global demand for more healthy, sustainable and nature-friendly foods. With only 50 calories per serving (1 cup or approxi-mately 8 medium strawberries) and a host of vitamins it's easy to see why strawberries are a superfood.

According to the University of Illi-nois educational website on strawber-ries, over 53 per cent of seven to nine year olds picked strawberries as their favourite fruit and eight strawberries will provide approximately 140 % of the recommended daily intake of Vitamin C for kids. European countries recorded an

average strawberry consumption of close to 2.66 kg per capita per year, according to the European Fresh Produce Associ-ation. In the United States consump-tion is higher, reaching 3.6 kg per year in 2012. According to a study published in the July 2006 issue of “The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition”, strawber-ries are one of 50 foods with the highest antioxidant content.

This article introduces a new strawberry extract “Nerina”, using a high tech ultra-filtration process to enrich the nutritional compounds without use of alcohol or chemicals. The Nerina cultivar has been selected for its polyphenol-rich, dark straw-berry profile which can easily be seen in the photo. The strawberry extract is produced by IPRONA AG, an Italian red fruit processing company, under the BerryPharma® Extracts trademark.

The fascination with strawberries has a long history, dating back as far as 2200 years ago. The Roman poets Virgil and Ovid mentioned the strawberry in the first century A.D. The

Nerina strawberry: Recreating the ancient wild strawberry; A strawberry cultivar designed to maximize polyphenol content and anti-oxidant propertiesAkam K. Anyangwe

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name ‘strawberry’, is supposedly derived from a farmer's practice of mulching the plant with straw to retain moisture, while dissuading the growth of pests and keeping the berries neat and fresh for picking. Technically, the strawberry is an aggregate accessory fruit, meaning that the fleshy part is derived not from the plant's ovaries but from the receptacle that holds the ovaries. Each apparent “seed” (achene) on the outside of the fruit is actually one of the ovaries of the flower, with a seed inside it.

Even though wild strawberries were consumed by people around the world since ancient times, cultivation of strawber-ries did not start until much later. It was the French who introduced strawberry cultiva-tion in Europe around the 1300s when they began transplanting the wild forest straw-berry (Fragaria vesca) to the garden. Charles V, France's king from 1364 to 1380, had 1,200 strawberry plants in his royal garden.

The Virginia strawberry (Fragaria virgin-iana) of North America was later introduced in Europe (in the 1600s) and the Chilean strawberry (Fragaria chiloensis) was intro-duced from Chile to France in 1714 by Amedee-Francois Frezier. A cross between these two new strawberries Fragaria virgin-iana and Fragaria chiloensis in France gave rise to the hybrid strawberry Fragaria anan-nasa, the modern strawberry. Since then, hybridization has been employed to select cultivars of Fragaria ananassa for commer-cial purposes. These varieties were culti-vated more for their consumer-appealing colour and flavour as well as agricul-tural yield than for their nutritional bene-fits. Cultivars of Fragaria anannasa even-tually replaced cultivars of the wild wood-land strawberry (Fragaria vesca), which was

polyphenol content. The name Nerina comes from the Italian for black, “Nero” and the diminutive “ina”. The darker the strawberry, the more polyphenols, espe-cially anthocyanins it contains. With 18 times more anthocyanin polyphenols as the normal commercial strawberry, Nerina is indeed a “super strawberry”. Anthocy-anin polyphenols are among the most potent anti-oxidants found in plants. Other polyphenols in Nerina include: ellagic acid, ellagitannins, gallotannins, quercetin, kaempferol.

the first strawberry species cultivated in the early 17th century, in commercial produc-tion. Due to the ever increasing consumer demand for healthier living with emphasis on sustainability, nature-friendliness, and traceability, the food extracts producer IPRONA AG embarked on a project to recreate an extract from the wild strawberry.

The result is the new dark, almost black strawberry, called Nerina (Fragaria nerina), a strawberry variety derived from the wild strawberry and cultivated to maximize its

Wellness Foods & Supplements No. 1 April/May 2015

Bioactives

Mixed varieties Nerina

Brix ref. 20° 9 BX 11 BX

pH 3.43 3.8

Acidity 10.35 g/kg 8.05 g/kg

Color 500 nm, pH1 19.48 60.5

Anthocyanins (as Cya-3-glu, pH Diff)

0.26 g/kg 0.75 g/kg

The table above shows the huge difference in polyphenol content between the Nerina strawberry and the ordinary garden straw-berry.

Unique, innovative membrane filtration technologyRather than using alcohol and other chem-icals for its extraction process, Iprona uses a unique membrane technology thereby avoiding degradation and contamination of its products.

This purely mechanical separation process enables the separation of substances according to their different molecular sizes by semipermeable membranes.

By using special separation membranes, Iprona can separate smaller molecules from bigger molecules. The different consistency of the several membranes allow a separa-tion of molecules by size and – regarding configuration and polarity – gives Iprona the possibility to create a mix either with the smaller or with the bigger molecules.

Using this unique membrane filtration tech-nology, IPRONA AG has produced a stand-ardized extract from the Nerina strawberry which even further amplifies the differ-ence in polyphenol content. Available as a soluble powder as well as in liquid form, this new product offers a very useful ingredient for developers and formulators of functional food products. The possibilities are endless, ranging from smoothies, ice-creams, bever-ages, to food recipes, yogurts and so on.

Table 1: Analysis Results of raw strawberry

Analysis carried out at the Iprona Laboratory, Lana Italy

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Ipronas unique membrane extrac-tion technology offers higher quality extracts Fewer fruits have been studied and researched more than the strawberry. Health-wise, the Nerina strawberry does everything much better than the ordinary garden straw-berry, which in its own merit is quite benefi-cial to our health.

Among the many potential health benefits are:

1) Support to the cardiovascular system, including reduced risk for heart illness: Anthocyanin polyphenols which are abun-dant in Nerina strawberries together with other polyphenols are efficient free radical scavengers, which reduce lipid peroxida-tion in the cell membrane of cells, thereby reducing oxidative stress as well as reducing the amount of circulating fats, including total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol. Some studies also show that the phytonutrients in strawberries work synergistically with prom-ising effects in lowering the activity of the enzyme Angiotensin I-converting-enzyme (ACE), an enzyme whose over activity leads to constriction of blood vessels and retention of salt and water, leading to high blood pres-sure.

2) Improved regulation of blood sugar: there is a documented relationship between straw-berry consumption, intake of sugar and lower post-prandial blood sugar spikes, with promising implication for reducing the reliance on insulin-regulating drugs and preventing type-2 diabetes. It was specu-lated that polyphenols in strawberries played a major role in helping regulate blood sugar response. The investigators noted that the blood sugar spike that followed an excess

and learning impairments. Fisetin may also help to protect neurons in the brain from ageing with surprisingly positive implica-tions in the future research for drugs against Alzheimer’s disease.

Other potential benefits from strawberry phytonutrients include:

– Maintaining a balance between the anti- inflammatory and pro-inflammatory process– Reducing the cellular damage that leads to ageing– Promoting enhanced signalling between brain cells– Potentially reducing macular degeneration and improved eye-sight – Clinical studies that examined the health benefits of strawberries in healthy or over- weight subjects, as well as in individuals with mild to moderate elevations of serum cholesterol and with metabolic syndrome, have shown favourable postprandial effects on glucose and lipid profiles.– The rich fibre content supports and improves digestive activity while helping to control weight.

Table 2: Analysis Results of powdered extracts

Mixed varieties Nerina

Anthocyanins (as Cya-3-glu, pH Diff)

0.6 g/kg 10.6 g/kg

Polyphenols (as Catechin, Folin Ciocalteau)

11.5 g/kg 70 g/kg

intake of sugar was reduced by simulta-neous consumption of strawberries.

3) Support the immune system: the unique combination and concentration of nutrient-rich strawberries help to develop a stronger immune system. Many studies have shown the positive effects of vitamin C on the immune system. Magnesium and folates also play a role in strengthening the body’s immune responses.

4) Improved brain function: According to research at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, a flavonol (a type of polyphenol) called Fisetin which is found in strawber-ries and other plants shows very promising results in helping to prevent memory loss

Nerina is also rich in vitamins such as: Thiamine , Riboflavin (B2) , Niacin (B3), Pantothenic acid (B5), Vitamin B6, Folate (B9), Choline, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Vitamin K.

Trace elements include: Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Manganese, Phosphorus, Potassium, Sodium, Zinc.

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Akam K. Anyangwe, Health Blog Writer for The Berry Roominfo@berrypharma.com www.iprona.com/nerina

IPRONA AG is the first to introduce a stan-dardized strawberry extract, “Nerina” under the BerryPharma range of healthy living products. We hope that Product Innovation Managers will share our passion for this new traditional healthy delight.

References

Achim Buba, Bernhard Watzla, Mark Blockhausa, Karlis Brivibaa, Ute Liegibelb,. „Fruit juice consumption modulates anti-oxidative status, immune status.“ Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry 2003: 90–98.al, Fredericks et. „High anthocyanin strawberries through cultivar selection.“ Journal of the Science of Food and Agricul-ture 2013.Binard, Philippe. Strawberry in perspective “Fact and figures in Europe and in the world”. 2nd International Strawbery Congress 2013: Freshfel European Fresh Produce Association, 2013.Colleen Carkeet, Beverly A. Clevidence, and Janet A. Novotny. „Anthocyanin Excretion by Humans Increases Linearly with Increasing Strawberry Dose.“ The Journal of Nutrition 2008: 897-902.Ellis CL, Edirisinghe I, Kappagoda T, Burton-Freeman B. „Attenuation of meal-induced inflammatory and thrombotic responses in overweight men and women after 6-week daily strawberry (Fragaria) intake. A randomized placebo-controlled trial.“ Journal of atherosclerosis and thrombosis 13. January 2011.Heo HJ, Lee CY. „Strawberry and its anthocyanins reduce oxidative stress-induced apoptosis in PC12 cells.“ Journal of Agri-cultural and Food Chemistry 23. March 2005: 1984-9.Katherine J. Meyers, Christopher B. Watkins , Marvin P. Pritts , and Rui Hai Liu. „Antioxidant and Antiproliferative Activities of Strawberries.“ Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 7. Oktober 2003: Antiproliferative activities of strawberries.Norton, Kyle J. „Phytochemicals in Foods – 11 Health Benefits of Pelargonidin.“ 4. February 2012.Pinto Mda S, de Carvalho JE, Lajolo FM, Genovese MI, Shetty K. „Evaluation of antiproliferative, anti-type 2 diabetes, and antihypertension potentials of ellagitannins from strawberries (Fragaria × ananassa Duch.) using in vitro models.“ J Med Food October 2010: 1027-35.Riitta Törrönen, Essi Sarkkinen, Niina Tapola, Elina Hautaniemi, Kyllikki Kilpi and Leo Niskanen. „Berries modify the post-prandial plasma glucose response to sucrose in healthy subjects.“ British Journal of Nutrition 2010: 1094-1097.Sara Tulipani, Bruno Mezzetti , Franco Capocasa , Stefano Bompadre , Jules Beekwilder , C. H. Ric de Vos , Esra Capanoglu, Arnaud Bovy and Maurizio Battino. „Antioxidants, Phenolic Compounds, and Nutritional Quality of Different Strawberry Genotypes.“ Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 23. January 2008: 56, 696-704.Shiow Y. Wang, and Hsin-Shan Lin. „Antioxidant Activity in Fruits and Leaves of Blackberry, Raspberry,and Strawberry Varies with Cultivar and Developmental Stage.“ Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 2000: 140-146.Stephen Wilhelm, James E. Sagen. A history of the strawberry, from ancient gardens to modern markets. University of Cali-fornia, Division of Agricultural Sciences, 1974.Tatsuhiro Akaishi, Takeo Morimoto, Mami Shibao, Sayaka Watanabe, Kumiko Sakai-Kato, Naoko Utsunomiya-Tate, Kazuho Abe,. „Structural requirements for the flavonoid fisetin in inhibiting fibril formation of amyloid β protein.“ Neuroscience Letters 31. October 2008: 280-285.

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"No other plant bears fruit earlier in the spring nor as soon after planting, nets

more profits per acre in so short a time, nor thrives in as many different climatic

zones of the world, nor does any other plant produce more fruit in proportion to the

size of the plant, number of leaves, or total leaf area."

Dr. StepheN WilhelM AND JAMeS e. SAgeN

In conclusion, here is a quote from “A History of the Strawberry from Ancient Gardens to Modern Markets”:

Bioactives