Aristotelia chilensis
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| Maqui | |
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| Maqui Tree with fruits | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| (unranked): | Rosids |
| Order: | Oxalidales |
| Family: | Elaeocarpaceae |
| Genus: | Aristotelia |
| Species: | A. chilensis |
| Binomial name | |
| Aristotelia chilensis (Molina) Stuntz |
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| Synonyms | |
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Aristotelia chilensis (Maqui or Chilean Wineberry) is a species of the Elaeocarpaceae family native to the Valdivian temperate rainforests of Chile and adjacent regions of southern Argentina.[citation needed]
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[edit] Description
It is a small dioecious tree reaching 4-5 m in height, evergreen, and with a divided trunk with smooth bark. Its branches are abundant, thin and flexible. Its leaves are simple, opposite, pendulous, oval-lanceolate, with serrated edges, glabrous, coriaceous with venation and strong red petioles.[citation needed] Its flower is small and white, yielding a small edible fruit (maqui berry) that is a favored food for birds.[citation needed] The small, purple-black berries are approximately 4-6 mm in diameter. The maqui berry is also known as the Chilean wineberry, and locally as maqui or maquei, queldrón, ach, koelon, and clon.[citation needed]
[edit] Polyphenols
Only limited polyphenol research has been completed on the maqui berry showing its anthocyanin content includes eight glucoside pigments of delphinidin and cyanidin, the principal anthocyanin being delphinidin 3-sambubioside-5-glucoside (34% of total anthocyanins).[1] The average total anthocyanin content was 138 mg per 100 g of fresh fruit (212 mg per 100g of dry fruit),[1] placing maqui low among berries for anthocyanin content (see Anthocyanins#Occurrence for tabulated content data).
Anthocyanins are also present in maqui leaves.[2]
[edit] Uses
According to myths, the edible fruit was eaten by the Mapuche.[citation needed] Claude Gay documented in 1844 that natives used maqui to prepare chicha as may have been referenced in his "Physical Atlas of History and Politics of Chile".[citation needed] Today, maqui may be used to make jam, juice, an astringent or as an ingredient in processed foods or beverages.[citation needed] It has been planted in Spain.[3]
[edit] References
- ^ a b Escribano-Bailón MT, Alcalde-Eon C, Muñoz O, Rivas-Gonzalo JC, Santos-Buelga C (2006). "Anthocyanins in berries of Maqui (Aristotelia chilensis (Mol.) Stuntz)". Phytochem Anal 17 (1: Jan-Feb): 8–14. PMID 16454470.
- ^ Suwalsky M, Vargas P, Avello M, Villena F, Sotomayor CP (Nov 2008). "Human erythrocytes are affected in vitro by flavonoids of Aristotelia chilensis (Maqui) leaves". Int J Pharm 363 (1-2): 85–90. PMID 18687390.
- ^ "Chilean plants cultivated in Spain". José Manuel Sánchez de Lorenzo-Cáceres. http://www.arrakis.es/~jmanuel/Plantaschilenas.pdf. Retrieved 2010-07-16.
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