Bilberry Products: Modern Characterization of Commercial Extracts / 日本補完代替医療学会誌

ABSTRACT

Wild north European bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus) is one of the richest botanical sources of anthocyanins, a class of molecules responsible for the color of fruits and characterized by a strong antioxidant activity.From a biological point of view, anthocyanins are endowed with several diverse activities and high quality bilberry extracts have been clinically studied in conditions like chronic venous insufficiency and diabetic retinopathy.Given the complexity of the industrial bilberries supply chain and thereof the high cost of their anthocyanins rich extracts, the dietary supplements market is facing a dramatic presence of adulterated extracts, either due to the use of anthocyanins from cheaper sources not related to bilberry or of chemical dyes.Although the current landscape is quite challenging, methods to detect the adulterations are at hand and need to be routinely implemented along the supply chain up to the finished product on the shelf.This review summarizes the market situation and gives a picture of the most recent analytical techniques available to the industry in order to spot these counterfeits and guarantee to the consumers a better quality and consistence of the products.