No abstract

Black chokeberry or Aronia melanocarpa is a small fruit‐bearing shrub in the rose family. Although it is native to Maryland, its range nowadays is from Newfoundland, west to Ontario, south into Alabama, and east to Georgia, and hardy to Zone 3. Aronia is a landscape quality plant, susceptible to few pests and diseases that persist in soils and temperate climatic conditions. It is an ideal candidate for organic fruit production. The Aronia fruit has nutraceutical qualities, heightening its marketability and sales potential as a value‐added product. There is currently great interest in fruits and vegetables that contain high concentrations of flavonoids, considered potent antioxidants. Some recent studies have implicated the relationship between in‐field plant nutrient fertility and antioxidant production in aronia. Here we present the data for the antioxidant content of Aronia melanocarpa as a function of the difference of age, amount of time spent in the sun or shade, and nitrogen treatment levels of crops. We have shown that the level of nitrogen treatment in the soil influences the antioxidant capacity significantly. Detailed measurements and analysis of anthocyanin and polyphenols as well as ORAC factor will be presented and discussed. The aim of the project is to determine the treatment that produces the highest capacity of antioxidants in aronia. Grant Funding Source: Supported by Grant T34GM008411, from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences