Strawberry Tree Fruits and Leaves (Arbutus unedo L.) as Raw Material for Sustainable Functional Food Processing: A Review

The strawberry tree (Arbutus unedo L.) is a Mediterranean plant known for the traditional use of its fruits and leaves due to their health benefits. Thus, it has been used for years in folk medicine to relieve various health conditions such as urological and kidney problems, dermatological, cardiovascular and gastrointestinal diseases. The fruits are traditionally used for making jams, jellies, and strong alcoholic beverages, while the leaves are mostly used for preparing tea. Since the leaves were more researched, previous results indicated that they have important biological effects, so further research should focus on the fruits. Due to its chemical composition, rich polyphenolic profile and the biological potential derived from it, the plant has great prospects for the production of functional foods and nutraceuticals. However, the plant's potential is underutilized in terms of processing. Therefore, this review summarizes the properties and the potential of the fruits and leaves of A. unedo and their possible benefits for processing with respect to agricultural, nutritive, biological and economic values.

Automated summary

The strawberry tree is a Mediterranean plant with medicinal properties, commonly used in folk medicine for various health issues. The fruits are used for food production, while the leaves are used for tea. With its rich polyphenolic profile and biological potential, it has great prospects for the production of functional foods and nutraceuticals.