Search Results (7)

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) isolated from plant sources are gaining increasing attention due to their potential probiotic and postbiotic functionalities. In the present study, Limosilactobacillus fermentum isolated from Prunus padus (bird cherry) was evaluated for its physiological, functional, and technological attributes for application in fermented dairy products. The strain was isolated through anaerobic fermentation and identified using API 50 CHL and 16S rRNA sequencing. Its acid tolerance, antioxidant capacity, antibacterial effects, and hemolytic activity were assessed. The cell-free supernatant (CFS) was evaluated for thermal and pH stability. Fermentation trials were conducted using both mono- and co-culture combinations with the commercial yogurt starter strain YC-380. Physicochemical properties, viable cell counts, and viscosity were monitored throughout fermentation and refrigerated storage. The L. fermentum isolate exhibited strong acid resistance (48.28% viability at pH 2.0), non-hemolytic safety, and notable DPPH radical scavenging activity. Its CFS showed significant antibacterial activity against five Escherichia coli strains, which remained stable after heat treatment. Co-cultivation with YC-380 enhanced fermentation efficiency and improved yogurt viscosity (from 800 to 1200 CP) compared to YC-380 alone. During 24 days of cold storage, co-cultured samples maintained superior pH and microbial stability. Additionally, the moderate acidification profile and near-neutral pH of L. fermentum created favorable conditions for postbiotic compound production. These results indicate that L. fermentum derived from P. padus holds considerable promise as a functional adjunct culture in yogurt production. Its postbiotic potential, technological compatibility, and heat-stable bioactivity suggest valuable applications in the development of safe, stable, and health-promoting fermented dairy products. Full article

Climate change increases global average temperatures worldwide. We tested whether temperature during seed maturation in a broadleaved woody perennial may influence the phenological performance of the seedlings. We performed two controlled crosses of Prunus padus L. in two subsequent years (2015 and 2016). Clonal mother shrubs were subjected to a cold and a warm condition during seed maturation. In the first year after germination, the seedlings from the warm seed maturation condition burst their buds earlier compared with the cold condition seedlings. In contrast, in the second and third years, these seedlings burst their buds later. A temporary maternal effect may have advanced bud burst for the warm condition seedlings in the first year, whereas a delay of bud burst in the following years may be caused by a transgenerational epigenetic memory, putatively expressing a stress reaction upon the suboptimal elevated temperature during seed maturation. A warm spring treatment in 2020 enlarged the difference in timing of bud burst between the cold and warm seed maturation conditions in offspring of both crosses, suggesting that the epigenetic memory is more strongly expressed in a warmer spring environment. The timing of the autumnal leaf senescence in the seedlings was not influenced by the temperature during seed maturation in all observation years, suggesting that autumnal senescence is less (epi)genetically determined compared with bud burst and more sensitive to ambient temperatures. Full article

Prunus padus L., is not very popular plant, it is commonly found due to low soil requirements and easy to settle in various places. As for now, concerning food technology, there is no wide application for P. padus. Therefore, the aim of this study is to evaluate the possibility of using bird cherry bark as an ingredient in herbal functional teas. In the first step, the conditions for extraction of the bark were electrochemically optimized. It was proven that the highest content of polyphenols could be found in the sample consisting of chamomile, linden flower, and calendula (7939.8 ± 106.6 mg/100 g dm). In the beta-carotene bleaching test, the highest activity could be spotted for calendula tea (16.7 ± 1.1^c%) and chamomile tea (15.0 ± 2.0^c%) and concerning the test for linden flower tea without added bark (134.4 ± 15.1^b μg ascorbic acid /mL). The property of the tested teas to inhibit cholinesterases was proven. What is more, P. padus bark infusion showed the highest activity of 15.8 ± 1.1^d μg neostigmine/mL, for acetylcholinesterases (AChE) inhibition and 21.2 ± 1.0^c μg neostigmine/mL for butyrylcholinesterases (BChE). The same tea also showed the highest activity to reduce ions of iron (Fe(III)): 25.3 ± 0.9^c μg Trolox /mL and glutathione reductase and glutathione peroxidase inhibition, 87.0 ± 1.1^e% and 64.9 ± 2.0^d% respectively. The use of P. padus bark may be vital in the preventive care concerning modern-age diseases and allow for the production of a new range of products with distinctive sensory characteristics and functional properties and, at the same time, in combating the spread of P. padus in the farm and forest ecosystem. Full article

Several phenological phases mark the seasonal growth pattern in temperate woody perennials. To gain further insight into the way these phases react on an altering growth environment, we tested whether vegetative and reproductive phenophases in a shrub species respond differentially among different genetic entities and between two different planting sites. We scored leaf bud burst, flower opening, leaf senescence and leaf fall on 267 ramets of Prunus padus L. belonging to 53 genotypes that were sampled in 9 local populations, and that were planted in 2 common gardens in the northern part of Belgium. The data were processed with cumulative logistic regression. The contribution of genetic and non-genetic components to the total variability varied between the four studied seasonal phenophases. The timing of flower opening displayed the smallest relative amount of intragenotypic variance (between ramets), suggesting a stronger genetic control and a lesser need at the individual plant level for plastic fine tuning to the micro-environment. In addition, whereas leaf bud burst showed the highest relative variance at the interpopulation level among all phenophases, probably at least partly attributable to local adaptation, flower opening displayed the highest intergenotypic variance, which may have been promoted more by assortative mating. Spring phenophases were strongly correlated (r = 0.89) as well as the autumnal phenophases (r = 0.72). Flower opening was not correlated with the autumnal phenophases. Timing of leaf bud burst and leaf senescence were negatively correlated, demonstrating that the length of the growing season enlarged or diminished among the studied genotypes. Although the two planting sites were only 24 km apart, all phenophases were advanced at the less exposed site, indicating a phenotypic plastic response. Together, our results suggest that in P. padus, flowering is less sensitive to environmental variation than leaf bud break and may show a lesser impact of a changing environment on this reproductive phenophase. Full article

Wild cherry is a plant observed in the form of trees or shrubs. This species comprises about twenty kinds of plants and the most popular are two, Prunus padus L. and Prunus serotina L., whose properties and content of phytochemical compounds are subject to studies. Wild cherry contains many active compounds, including tocopherols, vitamins, polyphenols and terpenes, which can have beneficial effects on health. On the other hand, wild cherry contains cyanogenic glycosides. Nevertheless, current research results indicate pro-health properties associated with both P. serotina and P. padus. The aim of this study was to collect and present the current state of knowledge about wild cherry and to review available in vitro and in vivo studies concerning its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and antidiabetic activity. Moreover, the current work presents and characterizes phytochemical content in the leaves, bark and fruits of P. padus and P. serotina and compiles data that indicate their health-promoting and functional properties and possibilities of using them to improve health. We find that the anatomical parts of P. padus and P. serotina can be a valuable raw material used in the food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries as a source of bioactive compounds with multi-directional action. Full article

Prunus padus L. (bird cherry) belongs to the Racemosa group in subgenus Padus in the genus Prunus L. It is a hardy invasive species, which makes it valuable for securing slopes, and for eco-design. It is a good solitary park tree with early flowering of white flowers in racemes, which have a pleasant smell. However, it may be attacked by cherry-oat aphid, and the small ermine moth, which may weave giant webs over the whole tree, which demonstrates the important role of P. padus in the food web of forest ecosystems. The species is in balance with these pests, other herbivores and diseases throughout Europe and Asia. Another threat is the competition against the invasive P. serotina, but it seems that P. padus is not strongly threatened, though they compete for the same habitats. Moreover, human interference of forest community ecology is probably the greatest threat. The tree is not only winter hardy; it can also survive hot summers and tolerate a wide variety of soil types. It may form dense thickets due to the regeneration of branches bent to the ground and basal shoots, and may be invasive. These characteristics are important in determining the ecological niche of P. padus, which involves the position of the species within an ecosystem, comprising both its habitat requirements and the functional role. It is also important that P. padus has effective dispersal of pollen and seeds. This, together with the previously noted characteristics and the fact that the tree can cope well with climate change, define it as a not threatened species. However, the ssp. borealis is threatened and national level monitoring is required. Prunus padus has been exploited by farmers and rural population, but is less used today. However, it is still used for making syrup, jam and liquor. Moreover, the wood is valuable for wood carving and making cabinets. All tissues are valuable as sources of powerful natural antioxidants. However, the interest in the P. padus fruit and other tissues is overshadowed by the interest in other wild species of edible and human health-related berries. Moreover, the tree is used in horticulture as an ornamental in gardens and parks, values that deserve a new focus. Full article

European bird cherry (Prunus padus L.) has been known since the Middle Ages for its medical/food use and high health-promoting value. This study aimed to assess the potential of these fruits as a source of bioactive compounds through the characterization of its physicochemical traits, nutraceutical properties, phytochemical composition via HPLC fingerprint, and antioxidant capacity. Fully ripened fruits of Prunus padus L. (Colorata cv) were collected in mid-July 2017 in Chieri, north-western Italy. The TPC (194.22 ± 32.83 mg_GAE/100 g_FW) and TAC (147.42 ± 0.58 mg_C3G/100 g_FW) values were obtained from the analyzed extracts. The most important phytochemical class was organic acids (48.62 ± 2.31%), followed by polyphenols (35.34 ± 1.80%), monoterpenes (9.36 ± 0.64%), and vitamin C (6.68 ± 0.22%). In this research the most important flavonols selected as marker were quercitrin (16.37 ± 3.51 mg/100 g_FW) and quercetin (11.86 ± 2.36 mg/100 g_FW). Data were reported based on fresh weight. Moreover, fresh fruits showed a mean antioxidant activity value of 17.78 ± 0.84 mmol Fe²⁺·kg⁻¹. Even though the seeds and leaves contain cyanogenic glycosides, this study showed that these fruits could be a natural source of bioactive compounds with high antioxidant properties, due to the contents of organic and phenolic acids, catechins, and a synergetic effect of vitamin C and flavonoids. Full article