Strawberry Tree Fruits and Leaves (<i>Arbutus unedo</i> L.) as Raw Material for Sustainable Functional Food Processing: A Review
Anica Bebek Markovinović,
Irena Brčić Karačonji,
Karlo Jurica,
Dario Lasić,
Martina Skendrović Babojelić,
Boris Duralija,
Jana Šic Žlabur,
Predrag Putnik,
Danijela Bursać Kovačević
Affiliations
Anica Bebek Markovinović
Faculty of Food Technology and Biotechnology, University of Zagreb, Pierottijeva 6, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
Irena Brčić Karačonji
Institute for Medical Research and Occupational Health, Ksaverska Cesta 2, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
Karlo Jurica
Special Security Operations Directorate, Ministry of the Interior, Ulica Grada Vukovara 33, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
Dario Lasić
Andrija Štampar Teaching Institute for Public Health, Mirogojska 16, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
Martina Skendrović Babojelić
Department of Pomology, Division of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Zagreb, Svetošimunska Cesta 25, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
Boris Duralija
Department of Pomology, Division of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Zagreb, Svetošimunska Cesta 25, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
Jana Šic Žlabur
Department of Agricultural Technology, Storage and Transport, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Zagreb, Svetošimunska Cesta 25, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
Predrag Putnik
Department of Food Technology, University North, Trg dr. Žarka Dolinara 1, 48000 Koprivnica, Croatia
Danijela Bursać Kovačević
Faculty of Food Technology and Biotechnology, University of Zagreb, Pierottijeva 6, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
The strawberry tree (Arbutus unedo L.) is a Mediterranean plant known for the traditional use of its fruits and leaves due to their health benefits. Thus, it has been used for years in folk medicine to relieve various health conditions such as urological and kidney problems, dermatological, cardiovascular and gastrointestinal diseases. The fruits are traditionally used for making jams, jellies, and strong alcoholic beverages, while the leaves are mostly used for preparing tea. Since the leaves were more researched, previous results indicated that they have important biological effects, so further research should focus on the fruits. Due to its chemical composition, rich polyphenolic profile and the biological potential derived from it, the plant has great prospects for the production of functional foods and nutraceuticals. However, the plant’s potential is underutilized in terms of processing. Therefore, this review summarizes the properties and the potential of the fruits and leaves of A. unedo and their possible benefits for processing with respect to agricultural, nutritive, biological and economic values.
