applied sciences Article Knowledge and Consumption Habits Related with White Crowberries (Corema album L.) Aida Moreira da Silva 1,2 , Maria João Barroca 1,2,* and Raquel P. F. Guiné 3 1 Unidade de I&D Química-Física Molecular, Department of Chemistry, University of Coimbra, 3004-535 Coimbra, Portugal; [email protected] 2 Polytechnic Institute of Coimbra, Coimbra College of Agriculture, Department of Food Technology, Bencanta, 3045-601 Coimbra, Portugal 3 CERNAS Research Centre, Department of Food Industry, Polytechnic Institute of Viseu, 3504-510 Viseu, Portugal; [email protected] * Correspondence: [email protected] Abstract: This study investigated the knowledge and consumption habits related with white crowber- ries (“camarinhas” in Portuguese) among the Portuguese population. It consisted of a questionnaire survey, undertaken on a sample of 501 participants, higher than 18 years old. For the treatment of data, basic descriptive statistics were used, complemented with the Mann–Whitney U test to assess some associations between categorical variables. Moreover, a tree classification analysis was carried out using a classification and regression tree (CRT) algorithm with cross-validation and a factor analysis was also used to treat the data. The results indicated that the majority of participants know the “camarinha” berry but the level of knowledge decreases from senior adults to young adults. On the other hand, the knowledge and overall perception about their nutritive value, sensorial characteristics and health benefits are low. Regarding the consumption of crowberries, it was found that more than half of the participants did not eat them, and 31.9% ate them only around once a Citation: Moreira da Silva, A.; year, mainly fresh, being hand-harvested from the wild by the participants. Furthermore, it was Barroca, M.J.; Guiné, R.P.F. observed that the Portuguese considered that the information about crowberries is scarce, which Knowledge and Consumption Habits Related with White Crowberries could justify that only a small part of the participants recognized this plant as vulnerable, due to (Corema album L.). Appl. Sci. 2021, 11, loss of its habitat, mainly by human actions and owing to lack of information. To fill the gap of 5463. https://doi.org/10.3390/ information observed in Portuguese people, it is hoped that the project (IDEAS4life) that supports app11125463 this work could contribute to increase the knowledge about this species and also to alert for the need of preserving this endogenous plant of the Southern European Atlantic coast. Academic Editor: Andrea Salvo Keywords: Corema album; small berries; white crowberries; consumption habit; health benefits; Received: 7 May 2021 Portugal Accepted: 11 June 2021 Published: 12 June 2021 Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral 1. Introduction with regard to jurisdictional claims in Corema album (L.) D. Don (Ericaceae) is an endemic shrub of Atlantic coastal dunes of published maps and institutional affil- iations. Iberian Peninsula and its fruits (Portuguese white crowberries, Atlantic pearls, beachberries, camariñas in Spanish or “camarinhas” in Portuguese) (Figure1a,b)) have been used for centuries in traditional medicine or as a food ingredient. Indeed, the use of this plant and fruit in human culture dates back to the Early Neolithic period, as evidenced in species features documented in historical written sources and current archaeobotanical research Copyright: © 2021 by the authors. places [1]. The dioecious and perennial shrub is a drought-adapted plant that thrives in Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. a wide range of coastal soils but grows preferentially in soils with percentages of sand This article is an open access article around 70%, low levels of inorganic and organic nutrients, and pH between 5.6 and 7.8 [2]. distributed under the terms and C. album conditions of the Creative Commons The flowering and fruiting of occurs from February to August and the beginning Attribution (CC BY) license (https:// of ripening is in June [3]. creativecommons.org/licenses/by/ 4.0/). Appl. Sci. 2021, 11, 5463. https://doi.org/10.3390/app11125463 https://www.mdpi.com/journal/applsci Appl. Sci. 2021, 11, 5463 2 of 14 Appl. Sci. 2021, 11, 5463 2 of 14 (a) (b) FigureFigure 1. 1. EndemicEndemic shrub shrub of of Atlantic Atlantic coasta coastall dunes dunes of of Iberian Iberian Peninsula: Peninsula: ( (aa)) CoremaCorema album album (L.)(L.) D. D. Don Don (Ericaceae)(Ericaceae) shrub shrub and and ( (bb)) its its small small fruits fruits (Portuguese (Portuguese white white crowberries) crowberries) in in a a traditional traditional basket. InIn the the first first half half of the lastlast century,century,Corema Corema album albumplant plant was was one one of of the the most most conspicuous conspicu- ousshrubs shrubs in the in Iberianthe Iberian Atlantic Atlantic sand sand dunes dunes but its but fruits its fruits never never became became a formal a formal commercial com- mercialcrop. Nowadays, crop. Nowadays, the climate the changeclimate impacts change andimpacts the growing and the pressure growing from pressure anthropogenic- from an- thropogenic-originorigin disturbance hasdisturbance caused the has loss caused of its the natural loss ecosystems.of its natural However, ecosystems. the crowberryHowever, thehas crowberry the potential has tothe be potential an interesting to be an niche interesting of berries niche in theof berries market in of the commercial market of crops,com- mercialbecause crops, of its peculiarbecause whiteof its color,peculiar novelty, white and color, nutritive novelty, and and bioactive nutritive compounds and bioactive [3–6]. compoundsThe berries, [3–6]. white as basic color but with the possibility of developing a pinkish tinge, are quasi-sphericalThe berries, white fruits as basic with acolor small but diameter with the (5 possibility to 10 mm), of a developing weight up toa pinkish 0.66 g, atinge thick, arewoody quasi-spherical endocarp and fruits usually with have a small three diameter seeds [6 (5,7 ].to The10 mm), water-rich a weight berries, up to with 0.66 a g, moisture a thick woodycontent endocarp higher than and 83%, usually have have high three levels seeds of fiber [6,7]. (around The water-rich 40%, dry berries, matter), with total a sugarsmois- ture(62.80%, content dry higher matter) than and low83%, protein have high levels le [vels7–11 of]. Infiber general, (around crowberries 40%, dry are matter), more acidictotal and less sweet than other berries such as blueberries, raspberries or blackberries, but have sugars (62.80%, dry matter) and low protein levels [7–11]. In general, crowberries are more a distinctly fresh taste and an agreeable lemony flavor [7–13]. acidic and less sweet than other berries such as blueberries, raspberries or blackberries, C. album presents high levels of antioxidant activity that can be attributed to com- but have a distinctly fresh taste and an agreeable lemony flavor [7–13]. pounds such as phenolic compounds, mainly derivatives of chlorogenic acid and flavonols, C. album presents high levels of antioxidant activity that can be attributed to com- including myricetin, rutin, kaempferol and hydroxycinnamic acids, p-coumaric, ferulic, pounds such as phenolic compounds, mainly derivatives of chlorogenic acid and flavo- caffeic, sinapinic acid derivatives, and anthocyanins [9,14]. The bioactive compounds nols, including myricetin, rutin, kaempferol and hydroxycinnamic acids, p-coumaric, fer- present in berries have been associated to health benefits spanning from prevention of ulic,cardiovascular caffeic, sinapinic and neurodegenerative acid derivatives, and diseases anthocyanins (such as [9,14] disorder. The ofbioactive Parkinson’s) compounds to pro- presenttection againstin berries oxidative have been stress, associated inflammation to health and cancerbenefits [14 spanning–17]. This from evidence prevention supports of cardiovascularthe traditional useand ofneurodegenerativeC. album in popular diseases medicine (such as healthyas disorder fruits of andParkinson’s) suggests thatto pro- the tectionconsumption againstof oxidative these berries stress, could inflammation promote positiveand cancer effects [14–17]. in human This evidence health and supports help to theprevent traditional chronic use diseases. of C. album In the in past, popular the freshmedicine crowberries as healthy were fruits hand-harvested and suggests by that coastal the consumptionpeople with low-incomeof these berries resources could promote and sold posi in traditionaltive effects commercein human health of coastal andvillages, help to preventamong otherchronic foods diseases. or medicinal In the herbspast, [the5]. However,fresh crowberries the improvement were hand-harvested of the economic by coastallevel of people the population with low-income and the resources loss of crowberries’ and sold in natural traditional ecosystems commerce led of to coastal a decrease vil- lages,in its productionamong other and foods sales, or limiting medicinal its harvestingherbs [5]. However, to the local the people improvement who know of thisthe wildeco- nomicberry. level In recent of the years, population the white and crowberry the loss of is ancrowberries’ inspiration natural to recover ecosystems lost home-made led to a decreaserecipes, suchin its as production pearlberry and jelly, sales, pearlberry limiting tisane its harvesting and ice-cream to the [3], local eventually people soldwho in know local thismarkets wild andberry. festivals. In recent years,