Rubus ulmifolius Schott (Rosaceae), known as wild blackberry, is a perennial shrub found in wild and
cultivated habitats in Europe, Asia and North Africa. Traditionally, it is used for homemade remedies
because of its medicinal properties, including antioxidant activity. In the present work, phenolic extracts
of R. ulmifolius flower buds obtained by decoction and hydroalcoholic extraction were chemically and
biologically characterized. Several phenolic compounds were identified in both decoction and
hydroalcoholic extracts of flowers, ellagitannin derivatives being the most abundant ones, namely the
sanguiin H-10 isomer and lambertianin. Additionally, comparing with the decoction form, the
hydroalcoholic extract presented both higher phenolic content and antioxidant activity.
The hydroalcoholic extract was thereafter microencapsulated in an alginate-based matrix and
incorporated into a yogurt to achieve antioxidant benefits. In what concerns the performed
incorporation tests, the obtained results pointed out that, among the tested samples, the yoghurt
containing the microencapsulated extract presented a slightly higher antioxidant activity, and that both
forms (free and microencapsulated extracts) gave rise to products with higher activity than the control.
In conclusion, this study demonstrated the antioxidant potential of the R. ulmifolius hydroalcoholic
extract and the effectiveness of the microencapsulation technique used for its preservation, thus
opening new prospects for the exploitation of these natural phenolic extracts in food applications
