ORGAN-PROTECTIVE EFFECTS OF ARONIA MELANOCARPA: AN UPDATED REVIEW

PURPOSE: To collect current information about the organ-protective effects of Aronia melanocarpa obtained in experimental and human studies. METHODS: An advanced search using the keyword “Aronia melanocarpa” was conducted in Medline (via PubMed) and Scopus databases. The following inclusion criteria were applied: original articles published in the time frame between January 2014 and December 2024. A total of 940 reports were identified in both databases, 250 duplicates were eliminated and 597 were excluded due to lack of relevance to the topic. Finally, 93 articles were determined for review. RESULTS: Aronia melanocarpa showed protective effects on the cardiovascular system, central nervous system, liver, stomach, intestines, kidneys, reproductive organs, skin, skeletal muscles, bones, eyes, immunocompetent organs, exocrine and endocrine glands. Most of studies were conducted in animals and in cell cultures. Human studies were scarce and not sufficient to draw final conclusions. CONCLUSIONS: Aronia melanocarpa showed numerous organ-protective effects proven predominantly in animal studies. Therefore, more information is required to obtain objective information related to its protective effects in humans.