Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT,
Portugal) for financial support through national funds FCT/MCTES
to CIMO (UIDB/00690/2020); the contract of L. Barros through the
institutional scientific employment program-contract, the contracts of
M. Carocho and S.A. Heleno (CEEC-IND/00831/2018 and CEECIND/
03040/2017) through the individual scientific employment program-
contract, and the PhD studentship granted to M. Añibarro-Ortega
(2020.06297.BD). To the “La Caixa” Foundation and to FCT for the
financial support through Project “Aquae Vitae — Thermal water as a
source of life and health”, Promove Mobilizer programme. This work
is also supported by MICINN for the Juan de la Cierva Formación
contract for T. Oludemi (FJC2019-042549-I).
Purpose The interest in using bioresidues produced by the agri-food industry is increasingly intrinsic to the world economy.
As such, researchers started to look for new ways to enhance its use, developing innovations to transform these residues into
high-value raw materials with industrial application, promoting the circular economy concept.
Methods Therefore, pruning residues from the production of Vaccinium myrtillus L. could be an interesting exploitation
feld, given its position as a superfood due to its well-known antioxidant properties. The antioxidant, antibacterial, anti infammatory, anti-tyrosinase, and cytotoxicity potentials of aqueous and hydroethanolic extracts of V. myrtillus aerial parts
were evaluated.
Results From the obtained results, ultrasound-assisted and maceration extracts were found to be as efective as, if not more
efective than, conventional antibiotics against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Aside from antibacterial activ ity, the extracts also showed antioxidant and anti-tyrosinase efects, which were found to be favourably related to the level
of cafeoylquinic acid derivatives.
Conclusion The obtained results highlight the bioactive potential and the importance of exploiting this bio residue as a novel
candidate for industrial application, taking advantage of their biological properties.
Graphical Abstract
