Consuming Blackberry as a Traditional Nutraceutical Resource from an Area with High Anthropogenic Impact

Abstract

The most serious quality issue of natural resources for human consumption or medicinal purposes is the contamination with pollutants harmful to consumers. Common blackberry (Rubus fruticosus L.) is a sought-after nutraceutical and an important component in herbal medicine in many places around the globe. The present study aims to analyze the level of heavy metal bioaccumulation in blackberry organs, as well as its spatial distribution in two consecutive years immediately after the interruption of the extended activity of the industrial source of pollution. The research was conducted in one of the most polluted areas in Romania and Eastern Europe, within a 26 km radius of the source of pollution. The Pb, Cd, Cu, and Zn concentrations in the leaves, flowers, and unwashed blackberry fruits were analyzed spectrophotometrically through flame atomic absorption spectroscopy (FAAS). The results show that blackberry is an important bioaccumulator of these heavy metals—71% of the Pb concentration values and 100% of the Cd concentration values exceeded the World Health Organization thresholds by up to 29 and 15 times, respectively. Also, the leaves are the largest reservoirs of Pb and Zn (the median values: 51.4 mg/kg dry weight and 105.2 mg/kg d.w., respectively), and the flowers contained the largest quantities of Cd and Cu (2.54 mg/kg d.w. and 11.3 mg/kg d.w., respectively). The Pb concentrations decreased by a power function in relation to the distance from the source of pollution. The implications of these results on the safety of the use of blackberry are discussed. The urgent necessity for food education of the local population which consumes contaminated nutraceutical products is emphasized.

Heavy metal concentrations in floodplain soils of the Innerste River and in leaves of wild blackberries (Rubus fruticosus L. agg.) growing within and outside the floodplain: the legacy of historical mining activities in the Harz Mountains (Germany)

“…A few Pb values of leaves sampled within the floodplain at Ahrbergen exceeded levels associated with livestock toxicity. Therefore, the possibility of excess exposure of herbivores must be taken into account (Reglero et al 2008), especially considering additional uptake of dust and grit attached to plant surfaces (Vlad et al 2019). In fact, Pb toxicosis has been repeatedly reported in livestock grazing in the Innerste floodplain (Meyer 1822;Haarstick 1910;Knolle and Knolle 1983;Knolle et al 2011).…”

“…Blackberries are pseudophanerophytes with 2-year-old woody shoots (Ossig and Brandes 2019). Due to their chemical constituents (ascorbic acid and other organic acids, tannins, and essential oils), blackberries are a traditional herbal medicine (Verma et al 2014;Vlad et al 2019). The consumption of plant parts with elevated metal content may pose a health risk for humans and animals (National Research Council 2005, Kabata-Pendias andMukherjee 2007).…”

Forest, Foods, and Nutrition

“…The ethnomycological knowledge was increased throughout semi-structured interviews with the Amhara, Agew, and Sidama ethnic groups in Ethiopia, as reported by Zeleke et al [24]. Vlad et al [25] studied and promoted blackberry as a traditional nutraceutical food resource from an area with high anthropogenic impact. Agúndez et al [26] studied local preferences for production of shea nut and butter in Northern Benin.…”

In vitro Antibacterial, Antioxidant and DNA Damage Protective Activity of Blackberry (Rubus fruticosus L.) Root Extracts

“…The gastroprotective and cardioprotective properties and pharmacological activities such as antioxidant, anti-carcinogenic, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, anti-diabetic, anti-diarrheal, and antiviral of these bioactive components in different parts of the plant are noted [1,3]. Blackberry leaves and roots are traditionally used in herbal medicine as a regulatory remedy for menses, enteritis, chronic appendicitis, leukorrhea, diarrhea, dysentery, and anemia [4,5]. Decoction of root bark and leaves being strongly astringent, depurative, diuretic and vulnerary are useful medicinally [6].…”