*Maqui: Relevance and Traditional Uses*

Maqui is a sacred medicinal plant to the indigenous Mapuche people, native to Chile and the Argentinian border [15]. Its light to dark purple berries ripen between December and February [16–18]. Besides its medicinal use, Maqui is consumed and prepared as food (juice, pulp, jam) or liquor [19]. Maqui has a high phenol content and, depending on the solvent used for its extraction, the phenolic content of the fruit can reach up to 51 g GAE/kg [16,19]. Aqueous and ethanolic extracts of Maqui fruit have been used since ancient times for medicinal purposes to treat digestive disorders, inflammation, and migraines, while leaf extracts exert antiseptic, anti-inflammatory, and indigestion protective properties [20]. Most of the actions described for this berry are related to the high content of anthocyanins and polyphenols in the ripe fruit [21,22].

Many collectors and businessmen have opted for plantations of this native fruit, which is mainly exported to Europe and Asia. Around 170,000 hectares are planted throughout Chile (estimate of the area of wild Maqui indicated by collectors in the agricultural census), but the growing demand for Maqui is not satisfied by wild production. In recent years, the demand from the food and pharmaceutical industry for Maqui berries has increased, which prompted the domestication of the species to achieve greater availability and avoid the destruction of wild populations [23]. Studies of the genetic structure of natural populations were carried out, looking for genotypes to guide the selection of clones in addition to establishing the best agronomic parameters for their selection and cultivation [24,25]. For this, studies of the genetic diversity of different Maqui populations using molecular marker techniques such as chloroplast microsatellites and amplified fragment length polymorphisms (AFLPs) guided the domestication of this species [23,24]. More than 60 clones of Maqui trees were planted at the Experimental Station of the University of Talca (Panguilemo) and genetic variability was evaluated using molecular markers [24]. The most outstanding clones were planted in other experimental stations (Los Niches, Chillan, and Río Negro), which allowed a more detailed evaluation of them [23,26]. From these works, the clones Luna Nueva, Morena, and Perla Negra present relevant agronomic characteristics (harvest yield, fruit size, and early maturation) [24,27], making them suitable for further nutraceutical evaluations.

In wild plantations, about 50% of the fruit is immature at harvest, while in the domesticated tree this is only 20% [27]. Currently, only the ripe fruit is used in the food and pharmaceutical industry [19,28], while the immature fruit has no application and is discarded. Likewise, Maqui leaves constitute agroindustrial waste and contain large amounts of total phenols [29].

The genetic differences in Maqui clones significantly influence their biological potential [24]. Although the biological properties of Maqui have been extensively studied, few reports analyze its antiplatelet activity. However, when evaluating Maqui's composition, some compounds present in this berry have been shown to exert inhibition of platelet activation, secretion, and aggregation, thus reducing the risk of CVD [30,31].

In the current review, we will discuss and summarize the studies that relate Maqui with cardiovascular protection, specifically in the prevention of CVRFs. On the other hand, we will discuss how Maqui's bioactive compounds mainly present in its fruit modulate platelet function as a mechanism of CVD protection.
