# From Forest Berry Leaf Waste to Micellar Extracts with Cosmetic Applications
## 3 Results and Discussion
### Active Ingredient Contents in Berry Plant Leaves
#### 3.1.1 Content of Micro- and Macronutrients in Plant Leaves
\begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c c c c} \hline \hline  & & (a) & & \\ \cline{2-5}
**Plant Material** & \multicolumn{4}{c}{**The Content of Micronutrients [mg/100g]**} \\ \cline{2-5}
**Fragraria vesca L.** & 0.73 b \(\pm\) 0.02 & 14.71 a \(\pm\) 0.27 & 111.91 c \(\pm\) 3.78 & 2.49 a \(\pm\) 0.04 \\ _Ruths fraticosus_ L. & 0.50 a \(\pm\) 0.00 & 107.00 c \(\pm\) 1.23 & 9.64 b \(\pm\) 0.11 & 3.36 a \(\pm\) 0.04 \\ _Vaccinium myrtillins_ L. & 0.57 a \(\pm\) 0.02 & 40.18 b \(\pm\) 0.78 & 4.19 a \(\pm\) 0.10 & 4.72 b \(\pm\) 0.08 \\  & \textless{}0.001 & \textless{}0.001 & \textless{}0.001 & \textless{}0.001 \\ \hline \multicolumn{5}{c}{(b)} \\ \cline{2-5}
**Plant Material** & \multicolumn{4}{c}{**The Content of Macronutrients [mg/100g]**} \\ \cline{2-5}
**Tangaria vesca L.** & **Mg** & **Ca** & **Na** & **K** & **P** \\ \hline _Fragraria vesca L._ & 352.00 c \(\pm\) 7.32 & 2083.99 b \(\pm\) 47.35 & 8.73 b \(\pm\) 0.02 & 1372.67 b \(\pm\) 7.99 & 187.32 c \(\pm\) 6.73 \\ _Ruths fraticosus_ L._ & 283.41 b \(\pm\) 3.72 & 994.57 a \(\pm\) 3.82 & 5.28 a \(\pm\) 0.11 & 1286.26 b \(\pm\) 13.17 & 145.02 b \(\pm\) 4.63 \\ _Vaccinium myrtillins_ L. & 122.27 a \(\pm\) 2.18 & 767.49 a \(\pm\) 7.12 & 5.11 a \(\pm\) 0.07 & 355.77 a \(\pm\) 9.56 & 66.69 a \(\pm\) 2.27 \\  & \textless{}0.001 & \textless{}0.001 & \textless{}0.001 & \textless{}0.001 \\ \hline \multicolumn{5}{c}{a,b,c --Values in columns denoted by the same letters are not statistically different in the analyzed type of berry leaves at \(p<0.001\).} \\ \end{tabular}
\end{table} 
Table 3: (a) Content of micronutrients in the leaves of berry plants. (b) Content of macronutrients in the leaves of berry plants. leaves containing approximately 0.50 mg/100 g of this element (Table 3a). There were also small differences between the analyzed leaves in terms of the content of zinc, which was found in the highest amounts in blueberry leaves (4.72 mg/100 g), compared to the statistically identical amount of this element determined in the blackberry leaves (3.36 mg/100 g) and wild strawberry leaves (2.49 mg/100 g). However, it is important to highlight the significant variation in the manganese concentration across the analyzed samples. The blackberry leaves were shown to be the richest source, containing 107.00 mg/100 g, while the blueberry leaves had more than two times less at 40.18 mg/100 g. The wild strawberry leaves contained over seven times less manganese, with a concentration of only 14.71 mg/100 g. Significant variations in the manganese content of different plant materials, including berry shrub species, have also been reported by various authors [47; 48; 49; 50; 51]. Importantly, species and varietal factors also influence the levels of other elements in these plants. Based on the micro- and macronutrient levels found in the leaves of the analyzed plants, it can be concluded that all of them are excellent sources of mineral compounds. This is particularly significant, as numerous authors [44; 45; 46; 47; 48; 49; 50; 51] have indicated that the leaves are often richer in these nutrients compared to the more commonly consumed fruit. Considering the beneficial impact of minerals on human health, it is worthwhile to explore the use of not only the fruit of berry bushes but also other plant parts in various industries. While the most obvious applications for these leaves are in the food or pharmaceutical industries, the rising consumer interest in natural skincare products [2; 39; 4; 50; 51] suggests that their potential in the cosmetics industry should also be considered.