The data reported over the last decades on the relevance of fruits and
vegetables for human health promotion has increased their use as nutraceutical
ingredients. In this connection, berries display an interesting content in a wide variety
of nutrients that contribute to a balanced diet such as sugars, essential oils, carotenoids,
vitamins, and minerals as well as bioactive non-nutrients namely flavonoids, phenolic
acids, stilbenes, and tannins. Bioactive compounds from berries have potent biological
activities namely antioxidant, anticancer, antimutagenic, antimicrobial, antiinflammatory,
and antineurodegenerative, which are supported by in vitro and, to a
lesser extent, by in vivo models. This is a comprehensive review on nutritional and
non-nutritional compounds present in berries, intended to provide rational information
on the health benefits of integrating berries in balanced diets.
Keywords: Absorption, Berries, Bioavailaility, Biological activity, Flavonoids,
Health, Intestinal microbiota, Metabolism, Nutrients, Phenolic acids,
(Poly)phenols.
