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Volume 14
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10.3390/plants14152454
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This is an early access version, the complete PDF, HTML, and XML versions will be available soon.
Article

Influence of Various Fruit Preservation Methods on the Phenolic Composition and Antioxidant Activity of Prunus spinosa L. Fruit Extract

by
Valentina Sallustio
1,
Joana Marto
2,
Lidia Maria Gonçalves
2,
Manuela Mandrone
3,
Ilaria Chiocchio
3,
Michele Protti
4,
Laura Mercolini
4,
Barbara Luppi
1,
Federica Bigucci
1,
Angela Abruzzo
1 and
Teresa Cerchiara
1,*
1
Drug Delivery Research Laboratory, Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, Alma Mater Studiorum, University of Bologna, Via San Donato 19/2, 40127 Bologna, Italy
2
Research Institute for Medicines (iMed.ULisboa), Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, Avenida Professor Gama Pinto, 1649-038 Lisboa, Portugal
3
PharmaBot Laboratory, Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, Alma Mater Studiorum, University of Bologna, Via Irnerio 42, 40126 Bologna, Italy
4
Pharmaco-Toxicological Analysis Laboratory (PTA Lab.), Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, Alma Mater Studiorum, University of Bologna, Via Belmeloro 6, 40126 Bologna, Italy
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Plants 2025, 14(15), 2454; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14152454 (registering DOI)
Submission received: 19 June 2025 / Revised: 5 August 2025 / Accepted: 6 August 2025 / Published: 7 August 2025
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bioactives from Plants: From Extraction to Functional Food Innovation)
Versions Notes

Abstract

Wild edible plants, historically valued for their medicinal properties, can be a sustainable source of food, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals. The blue berries of Prunus spinosa L., known as blackthorns, have antioxidant, astringent, and antimicrobial benefits. To preserve these properties after harvesting, understanding the best storage methods is essential. In this study, blackthorns were preserved using different methods (air-drying, freezing, or freeze-drying) to determine the optimal procedure for preserving their antioxidant activity. The fruits were extracted using a 50:50 (V/V) mixture of ethanol and water. The different extracts were phytochemically characterized for their phenolic content and antioxidant activity. The Folin–Ciocalteu test revealed total phenolic contents of 7.97 ± 0.04, 13.99 ± 0.04, and 7.39 ± 0.08 (mg GAE/g raw material) for the three types of extracts, respectively. The total flavonoid contents were 2.42 ± 0.16, 3.14 ± 0.15, and 2.32 ± 0.03 (mg QE/g raw material), respectively. In line with the polyphenol analysis, the antioxidant activity as determined by DPPH method was higher for the frozen extract, with a value of 91.78 ± 0.80%, which was confirmed by the ROS test on keratinocytes. These results show that both air-drying and freeze-drying processes negatively impact the preservation of antioxidant activity in blackthorns, suggesting that freezing may be the best preservation method before bioactive compound extraction.
Keywords: Prunus spinosa L.; preservation methods; antioxidant activity; hydroalcoholic extraction; phenolic compounds Prunus spinosa L.; preservation methods; antioxidant activity; hydroalcoholic extraction; phenolic compounds

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MDPI and ACS Style

Sallustio, V.; Marto, J.; Gonçalves, L.M.; Mandrone, M.; Chiocchio, I.; Protti, M.; Mercolini, L.; Luppi, B.; Bigucci, F.; Abruzzo, A.; et al. Influence of Various Fruit Preservation Methods on the Phenolic Composition and Antioxidant Activity of Prunus spinosa L. Fruit Extract. Plants 2025, 14, 2454. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14152454

AMA Style

Sallustio V, Marto J, Gonçalves LM, Mandrone M, Chiocchio I, Protti M, Mercolini L, Luppi B, Bigucci F, Abruzzo A, et al. Influence of Various Fruit Preservation Methods on the Phenolic Composition and Antioxidant Activity of Prunus spinosa L. Fruit Extract. Plants. 2025; 14(15):2454. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14152454

Chicago/Turabian Style

Sallustio, Valentina, Joana Marto, Lidia Maria Gonçalves, Manuela Mandrone, Ilaria Chiocchio, Michele Protti, Laura Mercolini, Barbara Luppi, Federica Bigucci, Angela Abruzzo, and et al. 2025. "Influence of Various Fruit Preservation Methods on the Phenolic Composition and Antioxidant Activity of Prunus spinosa L. Fruit Extract" Plants 14, no. 15: 2454. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14152454

APA Style

Sallustio, V., Marto, J., Gonçalves, L. M., Mandrone, M., Chiocchio, I., Protti, M., Mercolini, L., Luppi, B., Bigucci, F., Abruzzo, A., & Cerchiara, T. (2025). Influence of Various Fruit Preservation Methods on the Phenolic Composition and Antioxidant Activity of Prunus spinosa L. Fruit Extract. Plants, 14(15), 2454. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14152454

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