Exploring the nutritional potential of Arbutus species found in Greece

There are three Arbutus species native in Greece, i.e., Arbutus unedo L. (strawberry tree), A. andrachne L. (Greek strawberry tree) and their natural hybrid A. x andrachnoides Link, with high ornamental potential and use in forestry. Strawberry tree fruits have been found to be an excellent source of nutritional ingredients. There is however limited data on nutritional and phytochemical characteristics for A. andrachne and A. x andrachnoides populations found in Greece. The present research is aiming at distinguishing the differences among wild fruits of the three Arbutus species in order to estimate their potential as sources of nutraceuticals. A total of 18 individuals ( 6 plants of each species) from the wild, from two locations (Kalamos and Varympompi, Attiki) were studied. A. x andrachnoides fruits were found to have intermediate pomological characteristics ( length, width, length/width, weight) in comparison to the other two species. Moisture content of A. unedo was highest compared to the other two species. A. andrachne and A. x andrachnoides showed the highest concentration of total soluble solids, 25.73 and 25.87 degrees Brix, respectively. The pH values were low (3.40-3.87), similar to other wild fruits, providing the unique flavor and making these fruits suitable for food technology. There was no difference in total acidity (0.58-0.69 g citric acid(-1) kg(-1) fruit juice) and total phenolics (25.57-39.48 mg catechin g- 1 fresh tissue). Fruits of A. andrachne had lower concentration of total flavonoids in comparison to the other two species, but they contained higher concentration of total flavanols.