Journal of Berry Research

This review examines current and potential applications of molecular markers in strawberry (Fragaria spp.). The most prevalent uses of markers in strawberry are for analyses of genetic diversity, genetic mapping, and cultivar identification. Cultivar identification is by far the most important use of markers to date for the protection of intellectual property as well as to confirm the identity of nursery stock through multiple cycles of asexual propagation. These applications have been accelerated by continuous discovery of simple sequence repeat markers and the development of multiplexed sets. Mapping studies have confirmed the allopolyploid genome structure of cultivated strawberry and shed light onto genetic events that punctuate its domestication. Though marker-trait associations have been identified for disease resistance, photoperiodic flowering, and sex expression, marker-assisted selection in breeding is currently confined to a few entities in the private sector. Pedigree-based analysis holds promise for identifying additional marker-trait associations and simultaneously mining alleles in multiple genetic backgrounds. Meanwhile, the completion of the diploid strawberry genome sequence promises to accelerate candidate-gene approaches for marker discovery.

Two methods to induce a symptomless infection of crown rot (Phytophthora cactorum) in stolons of three strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa) cultivars were evaluated. Spraying a 10⁻⁴ ml zoospore suspension was the most effective method, producing a mean infection rate of 12%. Meristem cultures were subsequently established from all of the inoculated stolons and tested eight weeks later for the presence of P. cactorum using a PCR-based assay. A total of 784 meristems were excised and DNA was successfully extracted from 505 viable meristem cultures, 46 of which had been excised from stolons that were shown to have a symptomless infection of crown rot. No viable meristems were found to be infected with the pathogen. This investigation confirmed the suitability and reliability of meristem culture for the production of strawberry plants free from crown rot.

Sour cherry (Prunus cerasus), Laurel cherry (Prunus lauracerasus), and Cornelian cherry (Cornus mas) fruits are widely used in Turkey, both as food and as traditional medicines. The phytochemical composition and antioxidant capacities of these three cherry types were compared. Fruit flesh was evaluated for procyanidin concentration, subunit composition and degree of polymerization, for anthocyanin composition and for total antioxidant capacity, total phenolic content and total flavonoid content. High concentrations (up to 1 g per 100 g dry weight) of long-chain procyanidins were found in Laurel cherry, whereas concentrations of procyanidins in Cornelian cherry were 25 times lower. Surprisingly, Sour cherry (0.3 g/100 g DW) had a dramatically different procyanidin profile which was dominated by short polymers, with an average chain length of 4 monomer units. This is of particular interest since short-chain procyanidins have recently been suggested to play a role in the prevention of coronary heart disease.

Oxidative stress and inflammation together play a crucial role in the obesogenic process, and imbalances in reactive oxygen species, free radicals and antioxidants have been reported as being major mechanisms underlying obesity-related co-morbidities. Obesity and oxidative stress may be present even within the first two decades of life, and chronic exposure to systemic inflammation may contribute to the onset and progression of cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Bioactive compounds present in blueberry have been shown to have many positive effects on human health. The present study was carried out in northern Italy on a population of 24 overweight and obese children (8–13 years), divided into three groups: the first consumed fresh blueberries, the second blueberry purée, while a third control group did not consume any blueberries. The children's anthropometric measures were taken and serum markers related to inflammation, CRP, ceruloplasmin, and complements C3 and C4 were measured during the eight weeks they ate either fresh blueberries or blueberry purée. BAP test (Biological Antioxidant Potential) values of the three groups were monitored throughout the entire study and correlated with inflammatory, metabolic and anthropometric markers. The results showed a higher increase in antioxidant levels in the group that ate fresh berries than in the group that ate purée, while the control group's BAP values decreased over the eight weeks of the study. Our results show that increased consumption of blueberries, hence antioxidant intake, may also have a positive effect on markers of inflammation and oxidative stress in overweight and obese patients during childhood.

The fruits of three berry species cultivated in Russia, Rubus idaeus, Ribes L. species (R. nigrum and R. nigrum × R. dikuscha) and the less common Lonicera caerulea, were investigated for their minerals and phytochemical compounds. Under the same environmental conditions, differences in contents of nutrients and bioactive compounds among species were found. Lonicera caerulea contained the highest level of K, Ribes L. presented the highest content of Ca, while R. idaeus displayed the highest content of Mg and different micro-elements (Fe, Mn, Zn and Mo). Lonicera caerulea and Ribes L. displayed the highest content of sugars, but the profile of individual sugars differed among each species, with a probable influence on the fruit's organoleptic quality. The most striking result was the polyphenolic contents of L. caerulea which was significantly higher than that of Ribes L. and R. idaeus, two species already known to contain large amounts of these antioxidant compounds. This difference was much higher when the subclass of anthocyanins is considered. These results revealed L. caerulea as a promising species from a nutritional perspective.