Rubus coreanus

{{Speciesbox

|image = Korean raspberry 2008.jpg

|image_caption =

|parent = Rubus subg. Idaeobatus

|genus = Rubus

|species = coreanus

|authority = Miq.

|synonyms=

Rubus coreanus var. kouytchensis (H.Lév.) H.Lév.
Rubus coreanus var. nakaianus H.Lév.
Rubus nakaianus H.Lév. ex Nakai
Rubus pseudosaxatilis H.Lév.
Rubus pseudosaxatilis var. kouytchensis H.Lév.
Rubus quelpaertensis H.Lév.
Rubus tokkura Siebold

|synonyms_ref ={{cite web|url=http://www.theplantlist.org/tpl/record/tro-27807813|title=The Plant List: A Working List of All Plant Species}}

}}

file:Chinese brambles.jpg, R. corchorifoliusphoto from Watson, William, Climbing plants Publisher: London [etc.] : T.C. & E.C. Jack Language]]

Rubus coreanus, known as bokbunja{{Cite book|url=http://www.forest.go.kr/kna/special/download/English_Names_for_Korean_Native_Plants.pdf|title=English Names for Korean Native Plants|publisher=Korea National Arboretum|year=2015|isbn=978-89-97450-98-5|location=Pocheon|pages=336|access-date=22 December 2016|via=Korea Forest Service|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170525105020/http://www.forest.go.kr/kna/special/download/English_Names_for_Korean_Native_Plants.pdf|archive-date=25 May 2017}} ({{langx|ko|복분자}}), Korean blackberry, or Korean bramble,{{BSBI 2007 |access-date=2014-10-17 }} is a species of raspberry native to Korea, Japan, and China.{{cite web | url = http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=200011387 | work = Flora of China | title =Rubus coreanus Miquel}} It produces edible berries (not 'true berries' in the botanical sense) that can be fermented into bokbunja ju ({{langx|ko|복분자주}}), a Korean fruit wine (although the majority of fruit commercially grown for producing this drink are actually Rubus occidentalis, native to North America).{{cite journal |last1=Eu |first1=Gee-Suck |last2=Chung |first2=Byung-Yeoup |last3=Bandopadhyay |first3=Rajib |last4=Yoo |first4=Nam-Hee |last5=Choi |first5=Dong-Geun |last6=Yun |first6=Song-Joong |title=Phylogenic Relationships of Rubus Species Revealed by Randomly Amplified Polymorphic DNA Markers |journal=Journal of Crop Science and Biotechnology |date=2008 |volume=11 |issue=1 |pages=39–44 |url=https://www.koreascience.or.kr/article/JAKO200816637994184.pdf }}{{cite journal |last1=Lee |first1=Jungmin |last2=Dossett |first2=Michael |last3=Finn |first3=Chad E. |title=Mistaken Identity: Clarification of Rubus coreanus Miquel (Bokbunja) |journal=Molecules |year=2014 |volume=19 |issue=7 |pages=10524–10533|doi=10.3390/molecules190710524 |doi-access=free |pmid=25045891 |pmc=6271795 }}{{cite journal | title = Anthocyanin fingerprinting of true bokbunja (Rubus coreanus Miq.) | doi=10.1016/j.jff.2013.06.006 | volume=5 | issue = 4 | journal=Journal of Functional Foods | pages=1985–1990| year = 2013 | last1 = Lee | first1 = Jungmin | last2 = Dossett | first2 = Michael | last3 = Finn | first3 = Chad E. }}{{cite journal | journal = Journal of Functional Foods| title = Analysis of bokbunja products show they contain Rubus occidentalis L. fruit. | doi=10.1016/j.jff.2014.11.005 | volume=12 | pages=144–149| year = 2015 | last1 = Lee | first1 = Jungmin | doi-access = free }} R. coreanus fruits are usually harvested between the May and July at peak harvest season. They can only be cultivated in a few areas in Korea{{why?|date=September 2022}}, different to Rubus occidentalis, which can be cultivated widely across the country.Lee, M. J., Nam, J. H., Jeong, J. H., Rho, R. I., (2020). Effect of Plant Part, Extraction Method, and Harvest Time over Antioxidant Yield of Rubus coreanus. Pharmacognosy Magazine, 16(5), 455–460. DOI: 10.4103/pm.pm_549_19

Description

Rubus coreanus is a 1–3 m tall shrub.

=Cytology=

The chromosome count is 2n = 14.

Taxonomy

It was published by Friedrich Anton Wilhelm Miquel in 1867.{{cite journal | vauthors=((Miquel, Friedrich Anton Wilhelm)) | journal=Annales Musei Botanici Lugduno-Batavi | title=Prolusio Florae iaponicae | volume=3 | pages=1--66 | publisher=Apud C. G. van der Post | date= 1867 | url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/part/368389}}Rubus coreanus Miq. (n.d.). Plants of the World Online. Retrieved February 16, 2025, from https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:736034-1Missouri Botanical Garden. (n.d.-y). Rubus coreanus Miq. Tropicos. Retrieved February 16, 2025, from https://www.tropicos.org/name/27800346

Folk medicine use and health claims

Rubus coreanus has been used as traditional alternative medicine, as well as regular food, depending on its ripeness. Various studies are claimed to have demonstrated that fruits of R. coreanus might reduce the risk of diseases, including asthma, allergies, and obesity (unripe fruits) and might be effective in reducing inflammation.Oh, D., Kim, Y., Choi, E., Lee, H., Jung, M., Bae, D., Jo, A., Kim, Y. R., Kim, S., (2016). Antiobesity Effects of Unripe Rubus coreanus Miquel and Its Constituents: An In Vitro and In Vivo Characterization of the Underlying Mechanism. Hindawi Publishing Corporation, 1–15. DOI: 10.1155/2016/4357656 They are said to exhibit antioxidative, antipyretic, anticancer, and anti-high cholesterol properties, similar to many other fruits and vegetables.

Advertised compounds and industrial methods of making plant extracts

R. coreanus is rich in antioxidant compounds. A major active compound in R. coreanus, like in every other raspberry and several other fruits and nuts, is ellagic acid, which in the marketing of Korean raspberry products is especially claimed to possess anti-obesity and antioxidant properties.

Ellagic acid has been marketed as a dietary supplement with various claimed benefits against cancer, heart disease, and other diseases. In the 21st century, numerous U.S.-based supplement companies received FDA warning letters for promoting ellagic acid with false anti-disease claims that violate the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.{{cite web |author1=Miriam R. Burbach |title=Warning letter:VitaPurity Corporation |url=https://www.fda.gov/inspections-compliance-enforcement-and-criminal-investigations/warning-letters/vitapurity-corporation-514472-05122017 |publisher=US Food and Drug Administration |access-date=2 December 2021 |date=12 May 2017}}{{Cite web |url=https://www.fda.gov/Drugs/GuidanceComplianceRegulatoryInformation/EnforcementActivitiesbyFDA/ucm171057.htm |title=187 Fake Cancer 'Cures' Consumers Should Avoid |publisher=U.S. Food and Drug Administration |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170502034227/https://www.fda.gov/drugs/guidancecomplianceregulatoryinformation/enforcementactivitiesbyfda/ucm171057.htm |archive-date=2 May 2017 |access-date=17 June 2008}}{{Cite news|last=|first=|date=17 June 2008|title=FDA Cracks Down On Unproved Cancer Cures|work=CBS News|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/fda-cracks-down-on-unproved-cancer-cures/|url-status=live|access-date=16 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180629181344/https://www.cbsnews.com/news/fda-cracks-down-on-unproved-cancer-cures/|archive-date=29 June 2018}} Ellagic acid has been identified by the FDA as a "fake cancer 'cure'". There is no scientific evidence to support the claims that ellagic acid can treat or prevent cancer.

File:Rubus Phylogenetic Tree.png

Fruit and leave extracts from R. coreanus for products capitalizing on health claims are made by several methods; the most employed being conventional reflux heating or sonication extraction. Both methods share the same pre-preparation stage for samples before extraction. All samples are washed, dried in shade, and ground to a fine powder using a mill. In the reflux method, the ground powder is extracted using a Soxhlet extractor for three hours, with the extracts being filtered and concentrated using a rotary evaporator under a vacuum. In the ultrasonic bath extraction method, samples are extracted with 70% methanol using an ultrasonic bath at 64 °C for 2 h.