title: Impact of strawberries on human health: insight into marginally discussed bioactive compounds for the Mediterranean diet.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To review and update the current knowledge on the potential impact of strawberry on human health, with particular attention on compounds and indirect mechanisms of action not exhaustively considered.
  
  
  METHODS
  Personal perspectives and recent data.
  
  
  METHODS
  International.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Our research group was among the few groups that have recently investigated the folate content in fresh, stored and processed strawberries, and the data look very promising. As well, some in vivo evidence of the impact of strawberry intake on the folate status in humans have already been reported, but a new increasing interest on this field is strongly hoped. Furthermore, the hypouricaemic effects previously ascribed to cherry consumption need to be evaluated in respect to strawberry intake. At the moment, inconsistent results come from the few investigations designed at this proposal. In our studies, a great interindividual variability was observed on plasma urate levels in response to strawberry intake, suggesting a putative effect.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The mechanisms responsible for the potential health-promoting effects of strawberry may not be necessarily searched in the activity of phytochemicals. Particularly, a greater interest should be addressed to show whether a prolonged strawberry consumption may effectively improve the folate status and reduce the incidence of folate-related pathological conditions. Furthermore, the hypouricaemic effects of cherries need to be evaluated also in respect to strawberry intake, and the mechanisms of actions and anti-gout potentialities need to be studied in detail. Future investigations involving human trials should be aimed at following these underestimated scientific tracks.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Biochemistry, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Via Ranieri, 65, 60100 Ancona, Italy.
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tulipani
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Mezzetti
authors.forename: Maurizio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Battino
mesh_terms: D038441:Diet, Mediterranean; D005492:Folic Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000032:analysis*; D031985:Fragaria / Q000737:chemistry*; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D009752:Nutritional Status
chemical_list: D005492:Folic Acid