Bilberry – wild superberry from Europe Laura Jaakola Climate laboratorium University of Tromsø & Bioforsk Nord Eivind Uleberg, Inger Martinussen Norwegian Institute for Agricultural and Environmental Research, Bioforsk Nord Holt

Climate laboratory, UiT & Bioforsk - Location 69° 39’ N - 6 day light and 4 dark phytotrons - Temperature from +6 °C to 27 °C

(0,5 °C to 27 in the dark rooms) - Light intensity, quality and

photoperiod can be adjusted

Tromsø

Main research interests:

• Wild/forest berries • Biosynthesis of phenolic compounds and

ascorbic acid • Regulation of berry development • Gene x environment interaction in

anthocyanin production • Genetic diversity • Authenticity

Background

• About 50 wild berries are growing in the area of Nordic countries – 37 edible – 20 generally picked and utilized

• Most important lingonberry (Vaccinium vitis-idaea) bilberry (V. Myrtillus) and cloudberry (Rubus chamaemorus)

• Wild berries are traditional raw material for the area that could be utilized better

• From cultivated berries most important are strawberries, currants and rasberry

Bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus L.)

• Belongs to the most common and most important wild berry species in boreal forest

• Contains high yields of antocyanin pigments – > widely used in health products (eye health,

cardiovascular and age related diseases, cancer, II II type diabets)

• Export of Finland and Sweden around 13 000 tons/year

HPLC profile of anthocyanins in bilberry: 15 different anthocyanidin glycosides + flavonols + proanthocyanidins

Bilberry is one of the best sources of anthocyanins

Kaisu Riihinen; Phenolic Compounds in Berries, 2005, Univ. Kuopio, Finland

Anthocyanin biosynthesis in bilberry

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Flower Small green Green withred spots

Green andred

Red Ripe

Anth

ocya

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(mg/

kg fr

esh

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ght) : anthocyanins

: proanthocyanins

Jaakola et al.(2002) Plant Physiol. 130:729-739

Environmental and genetic regulation of anthocyanin biosynthesis in bilberry

• Many recent studies show that towards north bilberries contain higher levels of anthocyanins (Lätti et al. 2008, 2010, Åkerström et al. 2010, Martz et al. 2010)

• Also qualitative differences • Role of climate?

Lätti et al. 2008

Åkerström A, Jaakola L, Bång U, Jäderlund A. (2010) Effects of Latitude related factors and geographical origin on anthocyanidin concentration in fruits of Vaccinium myrtillus L. (Bilberries). Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry, 58:11939-11945.

Effect of light conditions and temperature on production and quality of bilberry

• 12 ◦C, 24 h light • 12 ◦C, 24 h light + red light • 12 ◦C, 12 h light • 18 ◦C, 24 h light • 18 ◦C, 24 h light + red light • 18 ◦C, 12 h light

• 2 Northern clones • 2 Southern clones

-> More anthocyanins in 18 ◦C, especially in northern clones -> More delphinidins in 12 ◦C -> More anthocyanins in 24h day length -> More anthocyanins in northern clones

Uleberg E., Rohloff J., Jaakola L., Trost K, Häggman H., Junttila O. and Martinussen I. (2012) Effects of temperature and photoperiod on yield and chemical composition of northern and southern clones of bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus L.). Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry, 60:10406-10414.

Authenticity

• Authenticity is important part of the quality assurance

-> there is demand for new methods • Between species vs. inside same

species • Raw material vs. products • DNA-based methods • Flavonoid profile based methods • Other methods

Jaakola L., Suokas M., Häggman H. (2010) Novel approaches based on DNA barcoding and high-resolution melting of amplicons for authenticity analyses of berry species. Food Chemistry, 123:494-500.

Primetta A., Jaakola L., Ayaz F., Inceer H., Riihinen K. (2013) Anthocyanin fingerprinting for authenticity studies of bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus L.) Food Control, 30:662-667.

•Strengthen and draw attention to Nordic food and Nordic food culture.

•Create a common understanding for the value of Nordic ingredients and a vision for the development of Nordic food culture.

• “ Purity, freshness, simplicity”.

Bilberry – towards functional food markets (2007-2009)

1. WPNetworking

2. WP Marketingresearch

3. WPQuality aspects

FINLANDUniv. OuluArctic FlavoursMTT

SWEDENSLUUmeåBalsgård

SWEDENSLUUmeåBalsgård

NORWAYBioforskUniv. TromsøBiolink

NordGen ICELANDAgric. Univ.

DENMARKDanish Berry Board

UKSCRIUniv. NottinghamUnilever

FINLANDNordic Jam OyKiantama Oy / Biokia OyLapin Liha Oy

SWEDENNorrmejerierOlle Svensson AB Polarica ABSkogsmat I Uddehol AB

NORWAYThe Royal Norw. Society for Development

Project coordination: University of OuluProf. Hely Häggman

http://www.oulu.fi/nordicbilberry/Wild%20berry%20marketing%20survey%20report.pdf

Information collected of: - Structure of wild berry industry in

Nordic countries - Raw material supply - Importance of co-operation in

marketing and brand development

Future prospects

• Semicultivation/cultivation of bilberry ->Selection of the best clones for breeding programs

• To develop new methods for annual crop yield estimations

• To develop better logistics for berry picking • To focus also on other health beneficial compounds • To utilize all plant parts • To develop new methods for the authenticity and

quality assurance • Increased co-operation between all actors in the

wild berry field

Thank you for the attention!