Low-energy strawberry fruits of Joly cultivar, the first step towards a novel, food-based solution for the obese population

Abstract

This study aimed to produce low-energy strawberries of the Joly cultivar by breeding them under different growing conditions. The efficacy of such a process was screened by the means of common physico-chemical parameters underpinned with the findings of elementary chemical analysis. The preferred strawberry breed line (treated with microbiological fertiliser of choice) showed both a decreased energy value (130 +/- 6 kJ/100 g or 31.07 kcal) and an increased water content (91.0 +/- 7.3 g/100 g). Due to a rich content of phenolic compounds (Total Phenolic Content/TPC/4184 +/- 39 mg GAE/kg; Total Anthocyanin Content/TAC/394 +/- 4 mg C3GE/kg), it also exhibited potent antioxidant activity (0.110 +/- 0.008 %/mu L, HPMC /Hydroxo-Perhydroxyl Mercury(II) Complex/) assay; EC50 = 2.01 +/- 0.10 mu g and ARP = 0.50 +/- 0.05 mu g(-1), DPPH assay). Finally, the polyphenolic extract of the same breed line showed high anti-alpha, glucosidase activity (IC50 = 19 +/- 1 mu g/mL), being more than four-fold active compared to acarbose (IC50 = 78 +/- 4 mu g/mL), the anti-diabetic drug used as a positive control. Taken all together, the utilisation of microbiological fertiliser (Bacillus sp.) in tunnels might be recommended for the breeding of low-energy strawberries of the Joly cultivar (the starting point for developing of novel functional foods targeting the obese population) in the same or similar agricultural conditions, if further studies confirm its likely potential and credibility.