Abstract: Reactive oxygen and nitrogen metabolites, which are side products of
cell metabolism, can produce a lot of damage in biological macromolecules and
tissues, producing a number of chronic illnesses. On the other hand,
antioxidant metabolites usually accumulated in fruits and vegetables can
provide an effective protection by neutralizing these reactive molecules. Among comestible vegetables, berry fruits are considered one of the
richest sources of antioxidant metabolites; hence, they represent a good model
for molecular and biochemical investigations about the biosynthesis and the
functional role of antioxidants in plants. This review illustrates how recent developments in the fields of
genomics and bioinformatics can provide powerful tools to better understand the
molecular mechanisms that trigger biosynthesis and accumulation of antioxidant
metabolites in berries.
