Recovery of High Valuable Bioactive Molecules from Vaccinium myrtillus L. Bioresidues

Abstract

Abstract Purpose The interest in using bioresidues produced by the agri-food industry is increasingly intrinsic to the world economy. As such, researchers started to look for new ways to enhance its use, developing innovations to transform these residues into high-value raw materials with industrial application, promoting the circular economy concept. Methods Therefore, pruning residues from the production of Vaccinium myrtillus L. could be an interesting exploitation field, given its position as a superfood due to its well-known antioxidant properties. The antioxidant, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, anti-tyrosinase, and cytotoxicity potentials of aqueous and hydroethanolic extracts of V. myrtillus aerial parts were evaluated. Results From the obtained results, ultrasound-assisted and maceration extracts were found to be as effective as, if not more effective than, conventional antibiotics against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Aside from antibacterial activity, the extracts also showed antioxidant and anti-tyrosinase effects, which were found to be favourably related to the level of caffeoylquinic acid derivatives. Conclusion The obtained results highlight the bioactive potential and the importance of exploiting this bio residue as a novel candidate for industrial application, taking advantage of their biological properties. Graphical Abstract