Rubus occidentalis

Details Top

Internal ID UUID64403e6c98bc1363937071
Scientific name Rubus occidentalis
Authority L.
First published in Sp. Pl. : 493 (1753)

Ethnobotanical Use Top

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General Uses Top

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Common products:
Fruit of Rubus occidentalis is harvested fresh, frozen, or dried and processed into jam, jelly, syrup, puree, pie filling, and wine. The same material is used in frozen desserts, fruit sauces and as a flavoring in dairy and baked goods.

Industrial and craft applications:
Anthocyanins are extracted from the fruit for use as natural purple food colorants (E163) in the food industry. The extracts have also been examined as natural dyes for textiles and craft work.

Food and beverages (non-medicinal):
Black raspberry fruit is eaten raw or cooked; it is a component of pies, tarts, muffins and sorbets. Juice, wine, cider and syrup are produced from the fruit, and the puree is used in yogurt, ice‑cream and confectionery as a flavoring.

Colorants and tanning:
The high anthocyanin content of the fruit (≈150–250 mg per 100 g fresh weight) makes the extract suitable as a natural purple food colour (E163). No documented tannin‑based tanning uses for this species have been reported.

Scientific/model‑organism use:
Rubus occidentalis serves as a model for fruit development and disease‑resistance studies in Rubus. A draft reference genome has been published, and the species is used for quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping of traits such as black raspberry root rot resistance.

Properties relevant to use:
Fresh fruit typically has a pH of 3.2–3.4, titratable acidity of 0.7–1.0 % (as citric acid), soluble‑solids of 8–12 °Brix, and moisture ≈83 %. Major anthocyanins are cyanidin‑3‑glucoside, cyanidin‑3‑rutinoside and pelargonidin‑3‑glucoside. The high acidity and sugar concentration support stable jam and jelly formation.

Standards and regulation:
The fruit and its processed products are regulated as conventional food under the U.S. Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. Anthocyanin extracts (E163) are listed as permitted natural colourants in the United States (21 CFR 73.250) and the European Union (EU Regulation No 1333/2008), with maximum use levels specified for each food category.

Sustainability and sourcing:
Rubus occidentalis is native to eastern and central North America, allowing cultivation in its native range with low pesticide input. It is eligible for USDA NOP certification, and organic production of the crop has been expanding in recent years. The fruit provides food for wildlife, supporting pollinator and bird habitats. Sustainable harvesting practices include leaving a portion of the crop for wildlife, and certified organic acreage has increased steadily over the past decade.

Synonyms Top

Scientific name Authority First published in
Rubus idaeus var. americanus Torr. Ann. Lyceum Nat. Hist. New York 2: 196 (1828)
Rubus occidentalis subsp. eu-occidentalis Focke ; 1874 147 1874
Melanobatus occidentalis Greene Leafl. Bot. Observ. Crit. 1: 243 (1906)
Melanobatus michiganus Greene Leafl. Bot. Observ. Crit. 1: 244 (1906)
Rubus tomentosus Bory Neues Mag. Bot. 1: 2 (1794)
Rubus occidentalis var. pallidus L.H.Bailey Cycl. Amer. Hort. 4: 1582 (1902)
Rubus tomentosus Borkh. Neues Mag. Bot. 1: 2 (1794)
Rubus occidentalis var. grandiflorus Focke Bot. Gaz. 16: 3 (1891)
Rubus occidentalis var. incisus Schltdl. Linnaea 13: 271 (1839)
Rubus occidentalis subsp. euoccidentalis Focke Abh. Naturwiss. Vereins Bremen 4: 147 (1874)
Rubus occidentalis var. japonicus Miyabe Mem. Boston Soc. Nat. Hist. 4: 229 (1890)
Rubus fruticosus var. tomentosus Fiori Fl. Anal. Italia 1: 580 (1898)
Rubus occidentalis f. pallidus (L.H.Bailey) Rehder Bibliogr. Cult. Trees : 288 (1949)

Common names Top

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Language Common/alternative name
English black raspberry
Spanish frambuesa negra
Arabic عوسج الشمال
Czech ostružiník ojíněný
Estonian läänevaarikas
Persian رزبری سیاه
Hungarian fekete málna
Japanese ブラックラズベリー
Russian Чёрная малина
Chinese 西方悬钩子
Chinese 黑覆盆莓

Subspecies (abbr. subsp./ssp.) Top

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Varieties (abbr. var.) Top

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Subvarieties (abbr. subvar.) Top

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Forms (abbr. f.) Top

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Germination/Propagation Top

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Distribution (via POWO/KEW) Top

Legend for the distribution data:
- Doubtful data
- Extinct
- Introduced
- Native
  • Europe
    • Eastern Europe
      • Central European Russia
    • Middle Europe
      • Czechoslovakia
      • Poland
  • Northern America
    • Eastern Canada
      • New Brunswick
      • Ontario
      • Québec
    • North-central U.S.A.
      • Illinois
      • Iowa
      • Kansas
      • Minnesota
      • Missouri
      • Nebraska
      • North Dakota
      • Oklahoma
      • South Dakota
      • Wisconsin
    • Northeastern U.S.A.
      • Connecticut
      • Indiana
      • Maine
      • Massachusetts
      • Michigan
      • New Hampshire
      • New Jersey
      • New York
      • Ohio
      • Pennsylvania
      • Rhode Island
      • Vermont
      • West Virginia
    • Northwestern U.S.A.
      • Colorado
    • Southeastern U.S.A.
      • Alabama
      • Arkansas
      • Delaware
      • District Of Columbia
      • Georgia
      • Kentucky
      • Maryland
      • Mississippi
      • North Carolina
      • South Carolina
      • Tennessee
      • Virginia

Links to other databases Top

Suggest others/fix!
Database ID/link to page
World Flora Online wfo-0000983387
UNII QEN9684SNX
Flora of Alabama 3214
Cornell Woody Plants 227
Canadensys 8940
USDA Plants RUOC
Tropicos 27801319
INPN 810923
KEW urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:223350-2
The Plant List rjp-102
Open Tree Of Life 670811
Observations.org 136233
NCBI Taxonomy 75079
Nature Serve 2.154082
IPNI 223350-2
iNaturalist 125489
GBIF 2991466
Freebase /m/045t8f
WisFlora 4881
EPPO RUBOC
EOL 244604
Elurikkus 349207
USDA GRIN 32401
Wikipedia Rubus_occidentalis
CMAUP NPO8865

Genomes (via NCBI) Top

No reference genome is available on NCBI yet. We are constantly monitoring for new data.

Scientific Literature Top

Below are displayed the latest 15 articles published in PMC (PubMed Central®) and other sources (DOI number only)!
If you wish to see all the related articles click here.
Title Authors Publication Released IDs
Haplotype-resolved genome assembly of the diploid Rosa chinensis provides insight into the mechanisms underlying key ornamental traits Zhang X, Wu Q, Lan L, Peng D, Guan H, Luo K, Bao M, Bendahmane M, Fu X, Wu Z Mol Hortic 16-Apr-2024
PMCID:PMC11020927
doi:10.1186/s43897-024-00088-1
PMID:38622744
Genome-Wide Analysis of the WRKY Transcription Factor Family in Roses and Their Putative Role in Defence Signalling in the Rose–Blackspot Interaction Domes HS, Debener T Plants (Basel) 10-Apr-2024
PMCID:PMC11054901
doi:10.3390/plants13081066
PMID:38674474
Haplotype-resolved genome of Prunus zhengheensis provides insight into its evolution and low temperature adaptation in apricot Tan W, Zhou P, Huang X, Liao R, Wang X, Wu Y, Ni Z, Shi T, Yu X, Zhang H, Ma C, Gao F, Ma Y, Bai Y, Hayat F, Omondi OK, Coulibaly D, Gao Z Hortic Res 08-Apr-2024
PMCID:PMC11059810
doi:10.1093/hr/uhae103
PMID:38689698
Anti-Helicobacter pylori Biofilm Extracts from Rubus idaeus and Rubus occidentalis Hałasa R, Turecka K, Mizerska U, Krauze-Baranowska M Pharmaceutics 05-Apr-2024
PMCID:PMC11054215
doi:10.3390/pharmaceutics16040501
PMID:38675162
The Effects of Black Raspberry as a Whole Food-Based Approach on Biomarkers of Oxidative Stress in Buccal Cells and Urine of Smokers Chen KM, Sun YW, Krebs NM, Reinhart L, Sun D, Liao J, Cook R, Elizabeth PB, Mallery SR, El-Bayoumy K Cancer Prev Res (Phila) 02-Apr-2024
PMCID:PMC10987264
doi:10.1158/1940-6207.CAPR-23-0153
PMID:38286439
UV reflectance in crop remote sensing: Assessing the current state of knowledge and extending research with strawberry cultivars Heath M, St-Onge D, Hausler R PLoS One 25-Mar-2024
PMCID:PMC10962828
doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0285912
PMID:38527020
Recent advances in the biosynthesis and industrial biotechnology of Gamma-amino butyric acid Milon RB, Hu P, Zhang X, Hu X, Ren L Bioresour Bioprocess 16-Mar-2024
PMCID:PMC10992975
doi:10.1186/s40643-024-00747-7
Chromosome-scale genome, together with transcriptome and metabolome, provides insights into the evolution and anthocyanin biosynthesis of Rubus rosaefolius Sm. (Rosaceae) Wang Y, Guan J, Zhang Q Hortic Res 02-Mar-2024
PMCID:PMC11060340
doi:10.1093/hr/uhae064
PMID:38689697
Genome-wide analysis of respiratory burst oxidase homolog (Rboh) genes in Aquilaria species and insight into ROS-mediated metabolites biosynthesis and resin deposition Begum K, Das A, Ahmed R, Akhtar S, Kulkarni R, Banu S Front Plant Sci 09-Feb-2024
PMCID:PMC10893762
doi:10.3389/fpls.2023.1326080
PMID:38405033
Genome-Wide Identification of Expansins in Rubus chingii and Profiling Analysis during Fruit Ripening and Softening Chen Z, Shen D, Shi Y, Chen Y, He H, Jiang J, Wang F, Jiang J, Wang X, Li X, Zeng W Plants (Basel) 01-Feb-2024
PMCID:PMC10857257
doi:10.3390/plants13030431
PMID:38337963
The effects of raspberry consumption on lipid profile and blood pressure in adults: A systematic review and meta‐analysis Jazinaki MS, Bahari H, Rashidmayvan M, Arabi SM, Rahnama I, Malekahmadi M Food Sci Nutr 16-Jan-2024
PMCID:PMC11016397
doi:10.1002/fsn3.3940
PMID:38628181
Berries vs. Disease: Revenge of the Phytochemicals Lamenza FF, Upadhaya P, Roth P, Shrestha S, Jagadeesha S, Horn N, Pracha H, Oghumu S Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 09-Jan-2024
PMCID:PMC10818490
doi:10.3390/ph17010084
PMID:38256917
Genome-wide analysis of the ABC gene family in almond and functional predictions during flower development, freezing stress, and salt stress Zhang D, Yu Z, Zeng B, Liu X BMC Plant Biol 02-Jan-2024
PMCID:PMC10759767
doi:10.1186/s12870-023-04698-7
PMID:38163883
Radio Telemetry and Harmonic Radar Tracking of the Spotted Lanternfly, Lycorma delicatula (White) (Hemiptera: Fulgoridae) Siderhurst MS, Murman KM, Kaye KT, Wallace MS, Cooperband MF Insects 30-Dec-2023
PMCID:PMC10816356
doi:10.3390/insects15010017
PMID:38249023
Rosaceae fruit transcriptome database (ROFT)—a useful genomic resource for comparing fruits of apple, peach, strawberry, and raspberry Li M, Mount SM, Liu Z Hortic Res 14-Nov-2023
PMCID:PMC10756754
doi:10.1093/hr/uhad240
PMID:38162465

Phytochemical Profile Top

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Below are displayed the proven (via scientific papers) natural compounds!
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Name PubChem ID Canonical SMILES MW Found in Proof
> Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Fatty Acyls / Fatty acids and conjugates / Long-chain fatty acids
Eicosanoic Acid 10467 Click to see 312.50 unknown via CMAUP database
> Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Prenol lipids / Monoterpenoids / Menthane monoterpenoids
(2S,3R,6S)-6-(2-hydroxypropan-2-yl)-3-methyl-2-(3-oxobutyl)cyclohexan-1-one 15432583 Click to see CC1CCC(C(=O)C1CCC(=O)C)C(C)(C)O 240.34 unknown via CMAUP database
(2S,3R)-3-methyl-2-(3-oxobutyl)-6-propan-2-ylidenecyclohexan-1-one 14137320 Click to see CC1CCC(=C(C)C)C(=O)C1CCC(=O)C 222.32 unknown via CMAUP database
> Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Prenol lipids / Sesquiterpenoids
(1R,4R,4aS,8aS)-1,6-dimethyl-4-prop-1-en-2-yl-1,2,3,4,4a,5,8,8a-octahydronaphthalene 10899738 Click to see 204.35 unknown via CMAUP database
(4aR,5R,8R,8aS)-5-(2-hydroxypropan-2-yl)-3,8-dimethyl-4a,5,6,7,8,8a-hexahydro-1H-naphthalen-2-one 101672521 Click to see CC1CCC(C2C1CC(=O)C(=C2)C)C(C)(C)O 236.35 unknown via CMAUP database
(4aS,5R,8R,8aR)-8-(2-hydroxypropan-2-yl)-5-methyl-3,4,4a,5,6,7,8,8a-octahydronaphthalene-2-carbaldehyde 101672367 Click to see 236.35 unknown via CMAUP database
2-[(1R,4R,4aS,8aR)-4,7-dimethyl-1,2,3,4,4a,5,6,8a-octahydronaphthalen-1-yl]propan-2-ol 11020497 Click to see CC1CCC(C2C1CCC(=C2)C)C(C)(C)O 222.37 unknown via CMAUP database
Chamomillol 102095305 Click to see 222.37 unknown via CMAUP database
> Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Prenol lipids / Triterpenoids
Oleanolic Acid 10494 Click to see 456.70 unknown via CMAUP database
> Organic oxygen compounds / Organooxygen compounds / Alcohols and polyols / Cyclic alcohols and derivatives
(1R,2R,5R,7R,8S)-2,6,6,8-tetramethyltricyclo[6.2.1.01,5]undecan-7-ol 101985389 Click to see CC1CCC2C13CCC(C3)(C(C2(C)C)O)C 222.37 unknown via CMAUP database
> Organic oxygen compounds / Organooxygen compounds / Carbohydrates and carbohydrate conjugates / Sugar alcohols
D-Arabitol 94154 Click to see 152.15 unknown via CMAUP database
> Organic oxygen compounds / Organooxygen compounds / Carbonyl compounds / Phenylketones / Alkyl-phenylketones
4'-Hydroxyacetophenone 7469 Click to see 136.15 unknown via CMAUP database
Acetovanillone 2214 Click to see 166.17 unknown via CMAUP database
> Organoheterocyclic compounds / Quinolines and derivatives / Hydroquinolines
(5R)-2,5-dimethyl-5,6,7,8-tetrahydroquinoline 13308943 Click to see 161.24 unknown via CMAUP database
rel-(5R,8S)-5,6,7,8-Tetrahydro-alpha,alpha,2,5-tetramethyl-8-quinolinemethanol 442529 Click to see 219.32 unknown via CMAUP database
> Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Coumarins and derivatives / Coumarin glycosides
Fabiatrin 10994544 Click to see 486.40 unknown via CMAUP database
> Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Coumarins and derivatives / Hydroxycoumarins / 7-hydroxycoumarins
Scopoletin 5280460 Click to see 192.17 unknown via CMAUP database
> Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Flavonoids / Flavonoid glycosides / Flavonoid O-glycosides / Flavonoid-3-O-glycosides
Rutin 5280805 Click to see 610.50 unknown via CMAUP database

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