Abstract
Cornus mas, also known as the Cornelian cherry, is a plant that grows in Eastern Europe and the Middle East. Its green leaves and reddish oval fruits are associated with many beneficial properties such as antioxidative and anti-inflammatory effects. These features are driven by the rich polyphenolic composition, with anthocyanins and iridoids in Cornelian cherry fruits as well as flavonoids and phenolic acids in leaves. The antioxidant behavior as well as the composition significantly depends on the cultivar of the plant and its genotype. The functional properties of Cornelian cherry have been recognized in many in vitro and toxicological studies. Cornus mas fruits and their extracts have been found to have significant antiatherogenic, anti-inflammatory, and neuroprotective effects. The beneficial effect of C. mas fruits as a food component has been determined in numerous papers focused on functional food. However, there is no information in existing literature about C. mas leaves in functional food applications. This paper presents the results of current studies including their synthesis to answer the question whether the Cornelian cherry exhibits positive properties due to its bioactive compound content.
Highlights
The Cornelian cherry, known as dogwood, is a plant that grows in the east and south regions of Europe and in West Asia
Results provided by Szumny et al show that Cornelian cherry extracts can help in intraocular pressure decrease, which is linked with a high concentration of iridoids, especially loganic acid, in extracts [80]
The results presented above demonstrate that the properties of Cornelian cherry compounds and the current trends in the application of plant leaves as ingredients of dietary supplements result in the purposefulness of research into the application of Cornus mas leaves in dietary and medicinal practice
Summary
The Cornelian cherry, known as dogwood, is a plant that grows in the east and south regions of Europe and in West Asia. Klimenko states that one wild-growing bush of Cornelian cherry can yield 2.8–10 kg of fruit, whereas yield reaches 80 kg per bush for trees cultivated in an orchard [6]. Significant amounts of flavonoids, anthocyanins, and iridoids were identified in the fruits and leaves of the Cornelian cherry. These compounds are linked with intense radical scavenging potential and antitumour properties [8, 9]. Cornelian cherry has many regional cultivars which differ between each other in physical properties (i.e., shape, fruit color, etc.) as well as nutrient composition [10]. In Poland and Ukraine, the tradition of growing and using the Cornelian cherry in cuisine was interrupted by post-World War II social and cultural changes which were a result of habitat erosion [6, 15]
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