REVIEW ARTICLE https://doi.org/10.1007/s10343-018-0416-1 Gesunde Pflanzen Phytochemical Composition and Potential Use of Rubus Species Brigitte Liliana Moreno-Medina 1 · Fánor Casierra-Posada 2 · Joseph Cutler 3 Received: 19 December 2017 / Accepted: 19 February 2018 © Springer-Verlag GmbH Deutschland, ein Teil von Springer Nature 2018 Abstract Plants produce a number of compounds that are vital to the growth and development processes (primary metabolites) of cells and plant health. In addition to this type of metabolism, plants perform various processes that lead to taxonomically specific formation of compounds (secondary metabolites) that are a vital part of the human diet. Historically, plants have been used for their multiple benefits for the prevention and treatment of diseases. Rubus species are cultivated on all continents, at various altitudes, from temperate forests to tropical climates, and have edible and economically important fruits. The present review describes the polyphenols as the group of chemical substances that is most frequently found in species of the genus Rubus. Additionally, reference is made to nutritional components such as proteins, fats, calories, vitamins, fiber and minerals. Biochemical characteristics such as pH, total soluble solids and titratable acidity, and phytochemical compounds such as fatty acids, anthocyanins, total phenols, ellagitannis and saponins, among others, are presented. The uses of these compounds found in fruits, leaves, stems and seeds of Rubus species plants are considered, in regard to prevention and management of diseases and agroindustrial and pharmaceutical potential. Keywords Polyphenols · Anthocyanins · Antioxidants · Nutrients · Phytochemicals  Fánor Casierra-Posada fanor.casierra@uptc.edu.co 1 Faculty of Sciences, Universidad Pedagógica y Tecnológica de Colombia (UPTC), Tunja, Colombia 2 Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, Research Group in Plant Ecophysiology, Universidad Pedagógica y Tecnológica de Colombia (UPTC), Tunja, Colombia 3 Lebenswissenschaftliche Fakultät, Fachgebiet Phytomedizin, Humboldt Universität, Berlin, Germany K