Exercise-induced muscle damage is common in athletes and recreational exercisers and can lead to muscle soreness, weakness, and impaired muscle function. The precise mechanisms are unclear but oxidative stress and inflammation are thought to play a role. (Poly)phenols are substances abundant in Vaccinium berries that have been suggested to possess antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects that could help improve exercise performance and/or recovery from exercise. The objective of this systematic review was to evaluate the benefits of Vaccinium berry supplementation on exercise performance and recovery, as well as on exercise-induced oxidative and inflammatory biomarkers in healthy individuals. A comprehensive search was conducted in PubMed, ProQuest Medline, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and Scopus. Studies were included if the participants were healthy individuals who were supplemented with any Vaccinium berry or Vaccinium berry-based products in comparison to a control group. Of the 13 articles included in this review, no significant differences in the exercise performance were found and only one study reported benefits for markers of recovery. Interleukins and c-reactive protein were the most frequently reported biomarkers, but there was limited evidence that Vaccinium berry supplementation impacted them post-exercise. Most studies were of high quality and showed a low risk of bias. Vaccinium berry supplementation is not effective in modulating markers of exercise-induced inflammation and oxidative distress in healthy individuals; nevertheless, more studies are required to evaluate their effects on exercise performance and recovery in this population.

Bilberry leaves are used in many countries in traditional medicine for treating a wide variety of diseases. Due to the high therapeutic potential of Vaccinium myrtillus (VM) leaves, this review aims to present the latest knowledge on the phytochemical profile, as well as the therapeutic effects of this herbal drug. The review was conducted according to the Prisma guidelines, and the scientific databases were searched using combinations of the following keywords: \"Vaccinium myrtillus\", \"leaves\", \"bilberry\". Recent research was focused on the influence of abiotic factors on the phytochemical composition, and it seems that there are significant differences between the herbal drugs collected from different countries. The phytochemical composition is correlated with the broad spectrum of pharmacological effects. The paper outlines the potent antimicrobial activity of VM extracts against multidrug-resistant bacterial strains, and also the pathways that are modulated by the unique \"cocktail\" of phytoconstituents in different metabolic alterations. Reviewing the research articles published in the last 10 years, it seems that bilberry leaves have been slightly forgotten, although their phytochemical and pharmacological characteristics are unique.

Bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus L.) fruits are an important part of local diets in many countries and are used as a medicinal herb to treat various disorders. Extracts from fruits are often a part of eye health-promoting supplements, whereas extracts from leaves are advertised for type 2 diabetes mellitus and glycemic control. This review provides an overview of the current knowledge of the phytochemical contents of bilberry fruits and leaves and their bioactivities, critically summarizes origins of the health claims and the outcome of clinical trials, with special attention towards those published in the past 10 years. Overall, the three most referenced indications, which are type 2 diabetes mellitus, vision disorders and circulatory diseases, all include contradictory results with no clear conclusion as to the benefits and recommended dosages. Moreover, the indications for vision disorders and diabetes originate from unproven or false claims that have been repeated in research since the 20th century without consistent fact-checking. Beneficial clinical results have been attested for the treatment of dyslipidemia and chronic inflammatory disorders when applied as dietary supplementation of fresh bilberries or as anthocyanin-rich bilberry fruit extracts. However, there is a general lack of double-blinded controlled research with larger sample sizes.

Intervention with fruit extracts may lower glucose and lipid levels, as well as blood pressure. We reviewed the efficacy of bilberry and grape seed extracts to affect these outcomes across populations with varying health status, age and ethnicity, across intervention doses and durations, in 24 intervention studies with bilberry and blackcurrant (n = 4) and grape seed extract (n = 20). Bilberry and blackcurrant extract lowered average levels of glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), at least in Chinese subjects, especially in those who were older, who were diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) and who were participating in longer-term studies. We also found good evidence that across studies and in subjects with hypercholesterolemia, T2DM or metabolic syndrome, intervention with bilberry and blackcurrant extract, and to some extent grape seed extract, significantly lowered total and low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels after four weeks. Intervention with grape seed extract may reduce systolic and diastolic blood pressure in subjects with hypertension or metabolic syndrome. Differential responsiveness in cholesterol and blood pressure outcomes between stratified populations could not be explained by age, dose or study duration. In conclusion, bilberry and blackcurrant extract appears effective in lowering HbA1c and total and LDL cholesterol, whereas grape seed extract may lower total and LDL cholesterol, and blood pressure, in specific population groups.

Vaccinium bracteatum Thunb.(VBT) is well-known for many physiological and bioactivities in some ancient Chinese pharmacopeias and modern researches. The health benefits are related to the presence of various nutritional and bioactive compounds. This review aims to demonstrate an updated overview of VBT in respect of botanical characters, nutritional and bioactive composition, main biological activities, and current applications. Various studies have emphasized at promising health benefits of VBT against hyperglycemia, oxidative stress, inflammation, depressive disorder, and retinal damage. However, the applications of VBT are limited to some native traditional foods and Chinese medicine. The novel beneficial efficacy and applications are still needed to be investigated. In conclusion, more research is necessary to overcome these gaps between the in-depth insights of health benefits and potential industrial applications. This review will contribute in future research for developing the functional foods derived from VBT.

Consumers\' demand for healthier foods with functional properties has had a clear influence on the food industry and in this sense, they have been attaching natural sources of bioactive ingredients into food products. Vaccinium myrtillus L. (bilberry) is known to be a functional food, presenting its fruits in the form of a small dark blueberry. This coloration is due to its high content in anthocyanin, being also associated with bilberries\' beneficial health effects. In the bilberry industry, there is a very high annual loss of this fruit due to the less aesthetic shape or appearance, in which they cannot be considered suitable for sale and are therefore disposed of as biological waste. Therefore, it is of great importance to valorize this fruit and this review aimed to completely characterize the fruits of V. myrtillus in order to comprehend the relationship between their consumption and the beneficial effects regarding consumer\'s health. Thus, this review provides a description of the nutritional and bioactive compounds present in bilberry fruits, followed by their beneficial health effects. An overview of the natural pigments present in these fruits was also explored, focusing particularly in the anthocyanins composition, which represents the most widely studied class of bioactive compounds of V. myrtillus fruits. Finally, industrial applications of these fruits and by-products, as an efficient approach to the production of value-added products with economical and environmental impact, were also discussed. In general, V. myrtillus is a rich source of micronutrients and phytochemical compounds, such as organic acids, sugars, vitamins, fibers and phenolic compounds (anthocyanin and non-anthocyanin compounds), with nutritional and functional properties, that justify the growing interest in these berries, not only for food applications, but also in the pharmaceutical industry.

Some epidemiological studies suggest that increased consumption of anthocyanins is associated with lower risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and hypertension. Also, high consumption of anthocyanin-rich fruit, such as berries, is associated with a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes (T2D). In this review, we briefly yet critically assess the available evidence in support of an anti-diabetic role of anthocyanins derived from berries, especially bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus L., also known as European blueberry, whortleberry, huckleberry and blaeberry) and blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum, native to the United States). Further, cellular and molecular mechanisms are discussed and the \"pharma-nutrition\" use of anthocyanin-based preparations for the prevention and treatment of T2D is examined. We conclude that animal and in vitro studies strongly indicate that bilberry and blueberry have the potential to ameliorate T2D and its cardio-metabolic outcomes. However, appropriate clinical trials are lacking and will eventually clarify whether these foods (either as such or formulated as nutraceuticals) might be added to the current pharma-nutritional armamentarium.

An evidence-based systematic review including written and statistical analysis of scientific literature, expert opinion, folkloric precedent, history, pharmacology, kinetics/dynamics, interactions, adverse effects, toxicology, and dosing.

暂无摘要。

We have systematically reviewed placebo-controlled trials of V. myrtillus-extracted anthocyanosides for evidence of positive effects on night vision. Searches of computerized databases and citations in retrieved articles identified 30 trials with outcome measures relevant to vision in reduced light. Of these, 12 were placebo-controlled. The 4 most recent trials were all randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and were negative in outcome. A fifth RCT and 7 non-randomized controlled trials reported positive effects on outcome measures relevant to night vision. Negative outcome was associated with more rigorous methodology but also with lower dose level and extracts from geographically distinct sources that may differ in anthocyanoside composition. Healthy subjects with normal or above average eyesight were tested in 11 of the 12 trials. The hypothesis that V. myrtillus anthocyanosides improves normal night vision is not supported by evidence from rigorous clinical studies. There is a complete absence of rigorous research into the effects of the extract on subjects suffering impaired night vision due to pathological eye conditions. Evidence from methodologically weaker trials and auxiliary evidence from animal studies, trials of synthetic anthocyanosides, and a recent randomized controlled trial of Ribes nigrum (black currant) anthocyanosides may warrant further trials of V. myrtillus anthocyanosides in subjects with impaired night vision.