Enhancement of nutritional and bioactive compounds by in vitro culture of wild Fragaria vesca L. vegetative parts

•Higher protein, sugars, organic acids and tocopherols were found in in vitro culture.•The hydromethanolic extracts showed better antioxidant activity.•Antioxidant activity is highly correlated with the presence of phenolic compounds.•In vitro plant growth enhances the accumulation of bioactives.

In vitro culture emerges as a sustainable way to produce bioactives for further applicability in the food industry. Herein, vegetative parts of Fragaria vesca L. (wild strawberry) obtained by in vitro culture were analyzed regarding nutritional and phytochemical compounds, as well as antioxidant activity. These samples proved to have higher content of protein, polyunsaturated fatty acids, soluble sugars, organic acids (including ascorbic acid) and tocopherols (mainly α-tocopherol) than wild grown F. vesca, as well as containing additional phenolic compounds. The antioxidant activity of hydromethanolic extracts could be correlated with the content of different phenolic groups and other compounds (sugars and organic acids). It was demonstrated that in vitro culture could enhance nutritional and bioactive compounds of Fragaria vesca L. plants, providing a very interesting biotechnological tool for potential food applications.