Abstract

Ugni molinae, a Patagonian berry traditionally consumed fresh and increasingly explored for value-added applications, has attracted growing interest for the functional food industry due to its distinctive sensory attributes and bioactive profile. The domestication program initiated by Instituto de Investigaciones Agropecuarias (INIA) in 1996 led to the development of cultivars such as Red Pearl INIA and South Pearl INIA, improving fruit quality and yield and being associated with shifts in secondary metabolite profiles that may depend on genotype, environment, and management conditions. This metabolism includes phenolics, flavonoids, carotenoids, and pentacyclic triterpenoids associated with antioxidant and antimicrobial activities. Evidence suggests that domestication may alter specific flavonol profiles, indicating possible trade-offs between agronomic traits and ecological functions. This integrative review was conducted through structured searches in Scopus, Web of Science, and PubMed databases covering publications from 2000 to 2025 using combinations of the terms 'Ugni molinae', 'murtilla', 'murta', and 'Chilean guava'. Peer-reviewed articles published in English or Spanish addressing domestication, propagation, phytochemistry, chemical ecology, and food applications were screened for relevance, resulting in 96 studies included in the final synthesis. Previous reviews have primarily addressed phytochemical composition and biological activities of U. molinae. The objective of this review is to provide an integrated overview of the species, encompassing its domestication history, propagation strategies, secondary metabolite composition, ecological roles, and emerging food applications. By linking chemical ecology with technological potential, this work addresses an underexplored integrative dimension and identifies current knowledge gaps and future research priorities required to support the sustainable valorization of this native species.