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Arbutus unedo
Also known as: Arbutus unedo L.
Facts (14)
Sources
Ethnobotanical and Food Composition Monographs of Selected ... ouci.dntb.gov.ua 12 facts
referenceMolina et al. published a 2011 study in the journal Forestry regarding the fruit production of the strawberry-tree (Arbutus unedo L.) in two Spanish forests.
referenceD. Espírito-Santo, L. Galego, T. Goncalves, and C. Quintas published a study in 2012 titled 'Yeast diversity in the Mediterranean strawberry tree (Arbutus unedo L.) fruits’ fermentations' in Food Res Int 47(1):45–50.
referenceRuiz-Rodríguez et al. (2014b) determined that wild Arbutus unedo L. and Rubus ulmifolius Schott fruits are underutilized sources of bioactive compounds with antioxidant capacity.
claimArbutus unedo, also known as the strawberry tree, is an evergreen shrub of the Ericaceae family that is abundant in the Mediterranean basin and regions with hot summers and mild, rainy winters.
perspectiveArbutus unedo is considered an under-exploited fruit tree, despite being highly valued in the Mediterranean region and attracting increasing interest from ethnobotanists, chemists, nutritionists, and anthropologists.
referenceVidrih R, Hribar J, Prgomet Z, and Poklar Ulrih N published a 2013 study in the Croatian Journal of Food Science and Technology titled 'The physicochemical properties of strawberry tree (Arbutus unedo L.) fruits', which analyzes the chemical and physical characteristics of the fruit.
referenceRuiz-Rodríguez BM, Morales P, Fernández-Ruiz V, Sánchez-Mata MC, Cámara M, Díez-Marqués C, Pardo-de-Santayana M, Molina M, and Tardío J (2011) assessed the nutritional value and natural production data of wild strawberry-tree fruits (Arbutus unedo L.) to support their valorization.
referencePallauf K, Rivas-Gonzalo JC, Del Castillo MD, Cano MP, and Pascual-Teresa S published a study in 2008 titled 'Characterization of the antioxidant composition of strawberry tree (Arbutus unedo L.) fruits' in the Journal of Food Composition and Analysis.
claimThe composition of Arbutus unedo fruits, leaves, and roots suggests the species is promising for the phytopharmacological industry and warrants further research for drug development.
referenceÖzcan MM and Haciseferoğullari H published a study in 2007 titled 'The strawberry (Arbutus unedo L.) fruits: chemical composition, physical properties and mineral contents' in the Journal of Food Engineering.
claimIn traditional medicine, Arbutus unedo fruits are used as antiseptics, diuretics, and laxatives, while the leaves are used for their diuretic, urinary antiseptic, antidiarrheal, astringent, depurative, and antihypertensive properties.
claimPharmacological analyses of Arbutus unedo extracts demonstrate that the plant possesses antifungal, antiparasitic, antiplatelet, antidiabetic, antihypertensive, anti-inflammatory, antitumoral, and antioxidant properties.
Wild edible plants for food security, dietary diversity, and nutraceuticals frontiersin.org Nov 27, 2025 2 facts
referenceMorgado et al. (2018) reviewed the use of Arbutus unedo L. (strawberry tree) from traditional medicine to potential applications in modern pharmacotherapy in the 'Journal of Ethnopharmacology'.
referenceArbutus unedo (fruit) is used as a urinary antiseptic, diuretic, and laxative, with antimicrobial, spasmolytic, and anti-diabetic bioactivity, containing γ-tocotrienol, gallocatechin, and lupeol, as reported by Morgado et al. (2018).