Aristotelia chilensis

Maqui
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
Synonyms
Cornus chilensis Molina Aristotelia macqui L'Hér.

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]}

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]}

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]

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]

References

1. ^ ^{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. 
2. ^ 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. 
3. ^ "Chilean plants cultivated in Spain". José Manuel Sánchez de Lorenzo-Cáceres. http://www.arrakis.es/~jmanuel/Plantaschilenas.pdf. Retrieved 2010-07-16. 

External links

• Maqui Information