Review of Rare Berries
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A mature blue honeysuckle bush, approx. 2 m high
Honeysuckle berries (Lonicera caerulea L.)
Blue Honeysuckle Facts
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also know as "haskap" (nickname of Japanese origin) or "honeyberry"
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native to northern climates -- Russia, China, Japan, Canada
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under scientific study and horticultural development as a future promising crop at the University of
Saskatchewan (Canada) and Oregon State University
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nearly 200 species exist worldwide, with more than 100 separate species just in China
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fruit is elongated and wide, unusual among berries
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taste is cross between blueberry and raspberry, tangy to bland (apparently depending on extent of polyphenolic acids and state of berry maturity)
Blue honeysuckle (Lonicera caerulea L.)
Honeysuckle Anthocyanins
Anthocyanins and polyphenols of 10 blue honeysuckle subspecies were characterized.
Six anthocyanins were detected with the major peak identified as cyanidin 3-glycoside.
Polyphenols identified were chlorogenic acid, neochlorogenic acid, quercetin 3-rutinoside, and quercetin 3-glucoside.
A subspecies from Russia contained the highest amounts of hydroxycinnamic derivatives and flavonols.
Source, click!
Honeysuckle Berries in Recent Science
Protective effects of polyphenols from blue honeysuckle fruits against UVA-induced damage to human skin cells. click for complete abstract
Feature finding: Honeysuckle berry polyphenols may be beneficial for protecting skin against sun exposure.
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Antimicrobial properties of polyphenols from blue honeysuckle. click for complete abstract
Feature findings: Cyanidin-3-glycoside was the main anthocyanin found in blue honeysuckle berries. The freeze-dried fruit and its phenolic fraction reduced the formation and adhesion of several bacteria -- Candida parapsilosis, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Escherichia coli, Enterococcus faecalis, and Streptococcus mutans.
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The response induced by blue honeysuckle berry extracts in animals bearing experimental solid tumors. click for complete abstract
Feature finding: In laboratory animals with experimental cancer, honeysuckle berry extracts reduced tumor volume when administered continuously during the tumor growth and development stages
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