Genomics of berry fruits antioxidant components

Abstract

Reactive oxygen and nitrogen metabolites, which are side products of cell metabolism, can produce a lot of damage in biological macromolecules and tissues, producing a number of chronic illnesses. On the other hand, antioxidant metabolites usually accumulated in fruits and vegetables can provide an effective protection by neutralizing these reactive molecules. Among comestible vegetables, berry fruits are considered one of the richest sources of antioxidant metabolites; hence, they represent a good model for molecular and biochemical investigations about the biosynthesis and the functional role of antioxidants in plants. This review illustrates how recent developments in the fields of genomics and bioinformatics can provide powerful tools to better understand the molecular mechanisms that trigger biosynthesis and accumulation of antioxidant metabolites in berries.