FSP/
Articles/
2507000943
  • Open Access
  • Review
A Current Review on the Impact of Environmental and Biological Stresses on the Production of Bioactive Compounds in Berries
  • Manuel Chacón-Fuentes 1,   
  • Mauricio Opazo-Navarrete 1, 2,   
  • Grace Armijo-Godoy 1,   
  • Macarena Barra-Jiménez 1,   
  • Luís Mojica 3,   
  • César Burgos-Díaz 1, *

Received: 26 Apr 2025 | Revised: 05 Jul 2025 | Accepted: 08 Jul 2025 | Published: 10 Jul 2025

Abstract

In recent years, interest in functional foods has grown due to increasing consumer awareness of the link between diet, health, and nutrition. Berries are a source of bioactive compounds, including particularly secondary metabolites such as polyphenols, flavonoids, and anthocyanins, which are bioactive compounds valued for their antioxidant properties and their potential for producing functional food ingredients. However, berry production faces challenges from environmental stressors, including drought, salinity, and extreme temperatures (either heat or low), which can negatively affect the biosynthesis of these compounds. Such stressors have become more frequent and intense due to climate change. Biological stressors, such as herbivory and pathogens, also threaten berries, triggering complex defense responses that activate secondary metabolic pathways involved in bioactive compound production. These bioactive compounds play a critical role in plant defense and offer potential health benefits, making berries an appealing model for studying plant metabolic responses under stress. Native berries, such as those found in Chile, offer a unique yet underexplored opportunity to investigate how environmental and biological interactions shape metabolite accumulation. Therefore, this review explores how environmental and biological stresses influence bioactive compounds, particularly secondary metabolite production in berries, highlighting their functional potential and emphasizing the importance of understanding these responses to support sustainable use in agri-food industries and human health. This review also highlights recent advances in pre-harvest stress management and emerging food processing technologies, which offer promising approaches to sustainably enhance and valorize bioactive compounds. These insights may guide the development of functional foods and nutraceuticals, fostering innovation in the agri-food sector and informing evidence-based public health policies.

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DOI
10.53941/fsp.2025.100002
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Volume 1, Issue 1
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Chacón-Fuentes, M.; Opazo-Navarrete, M.; Armijo-Godoy, G.; Barra-Jiménez, M.; Mojica, L.; Burgos-Díaz, C. A Current Review on the Impact of Environmental and Biological Stresses on the Production of Bioactive Compounds in Berries. Food Science and Processing 2025, 1 (1), 2. https://doi.org/10.53941/fsp.2025.100002.
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