Blueberries are becoming increasingly popular for their nutritional and health benefits, and so their economic value is increasing. The loss of quality that can occur due to softening and fungal attack is an important consideration when marketing blueberries. Despite the added value of blueberries, no studies have been carried out on how the fruit arrives at the outlets just before purchase by the consumer in terms of firmness, physico-chemical parameters, phenolic compounds and fungal growth.
Hailed by the media as a ‘superfood’, due to its high content of health-promoting compounds based on significant amounts of various phytochemicals, blueberries have gained much attention, becoming the second most valued berry in the United States after strawberries. This has led to a 52% increase in global production over the last five years. In this sense, the inclusion of blueberries in the diet is a relatively easy way to add functionality and increase their commercial value.
Now, a study has looked into the compounds to which many of the health benefits of blueberries are attributed are phenolic compounds including both flavonoid and non-flavonoid types, the most abundant of which are anthocyanins. They have been shown to have anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and vasoprotective effects and, with these, a significant modulatory effect on cellular biomarkers related to oxidative stress and inflammation.