Blackberries

Sweet, succulent blackberries are summer delicacies in the northern temperate regions. As in raspberries, they too grow on shrubs known as "brambles" in the vast rosaceae family of bush berries. The plant is native to sub-arctic europe, and now-a-days grown at commercial scale from north america, particularly in the usa, to as far as siberia.

Binomially, brambles are a small perennial shrubs belonging to the rosaceae family, in the genus: rubus. Botanical name: rubus fruticosus.

Depending upon cultivar type, blackberry bush can be classified into erect, semi-erect, and trailing types. Erect type bush generally features cane thorns, and spreads by root suckers (which send cane shoots) along the hedgerows, whereas, trailing shrubs require trellis to support growth, and spread by fresh shoots known as canes or primocanes. In the second year, these primocanes become floricanes. White or pink flowers appear in the floricanes. Technically, blackberry is an aggregate fruit consisting of small drupelets arranged in circular fashion. Each drupelet composes of juicy pulp with single tiny seed. Each berry measures about 3-4 cm in length containing about 80-100 drupelets. Loganberries and phenomenon-berries are hybrids between blackberry and red raspberry. Several other bramble berries such as boysenberry, nessberry, youngberry, marionberry etc., are hybrids of dewberry, blackberry, and wild raspberry cultivars.

As in other kinds of bush berries, blackberries too are packed with numerous plant nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, anti-oxidants, and dietary fibers that are essential for optimum health.

The berries are very low in calories. 100 g provide just 43 calories. Nonetheless, they are rich in soluble and insoluble fiber (100 g whole berries consist of 5.3 g or 14% rda of fiber). Xylitol, a low-calorie sugar substitute in the fruit fiber which absorbs slower than glucose inside the gut. It, thus, help in steadyingablood sugar levels.

Blackberries compose significantly high amounts of phenolic flavonoid phytochemicals such as anthocyanins, ellagic acid,atannin), quercetin, gallic acid, cyanidins, pelargonidins, catechins, kaempferol, and salicylic acid. Scientific studies show that these antioxidant compounds may have potential health benefits against cancer, aging, inflammation, and neurological diseases.

Fresh berries are an excellent source of vitamin-c (100 g of berries contain 23 mg or 35% of rda), which is a powerful natural antioxidant. Consumption of fruits rich in vitamin c helpsdevelop resistance against infectious agents, counter inflammation, and scavenge harmful free radicals from the human body.

They carry adequate levels of vitamin a, vitamin e, and vitamin k (16% of rda/100 g). In addition, they are rich in several other health promoting flavonoid poly-phenolic antioxidants such as lutein, zea-xanthin, and b-carotene in small amounts. Altogether, these compounds help act as protective scavengers against oxygen-derived free radicals and reactive oxygen species (ros) that play a role in aging and various disease processes.

Blackberries have an orac value (oxygen radical absorbance capacity, a measure of anti-oxidant strength) of about 5347 amol te per 100 grams.

Further, blackberries contain a good amount of minerals like potassium, manganese, copper, and magnesium. Copper is required in the bone metabolism as well as in production of white and red blood cells.

They contain moderate levels of b-complex group of vitamins. It contains very good amounts of pyridoxine, niacin, pantothenic acid, riboflavin, and folic acid. These vitamins work as co-factors for enzymes that help metabolize carbohydrates, proteins, and fats inside the human body.