The effects of extraction and processing conditions including varieties (Berberis integerrima: A, Berberis vulgaris: P), solvent (water: W, ethanol: E), light (presence: L, absence: T), pH (3, 1.5), temperature (25, 50C), processes of heating (95, 80C), chilling (ref 1, 2 months), freezing (con), microwave (mic) and gamma irradiation (at doses of 0.5–10 kGy) on bioactive compounds were studied. The highest and lowest amounts (mg/100 g extract) of total phenolic (TPC), monomeric anthocyanin (MAC) and anthocyanin contents in extraction conditions, were: AET325 and PEL350, AET350 and PEL325 and delphinidin 3 glucoside in AET1.550 and peonidin 3 glucoside in PEL325, respectively. The highest and lowest amounts in processing conditions were, respectively: TPC (A7.5) and (Pmic), MAC (A0.5) and (P10), polymeric anthocyanin content (Pref2) and (A10), cyanidin 3 glucoside (A2.5) and all three delphinidin 3 glucoside, pelargonidin 3,5 diglucoside and peonidin 3 glucoside in B. vulgaris after processing were not detected. Practical Applications No data have been done about polyphenols and anthocyanins changes during processing excluding sun and shade drying (Moghaddam et al. ), in barberry fruits. The Berberis vulgaris fruit owing to its color and mellow taste is used as a seasoning in food. Berberis integerrima fruits are used to prepare juices. Polyphenols affect appearance, flavor, taste and nutrients of foods. Their beneficial activities are including antiplatelet aggregation, antioxidation, anti‐inflammatory, antitumor and estrogenic properties. They prevent from cancers and cardiovascular diseases. Some advantageous properties of anthocyanins are antimicrobial, antihepatitis A and B, antimutation, reducing blood sugar, protecting of capillary permeability and they are identified as vitamin P. These compounds have greater antioxidant ability than vitamin E, ascorbic acid and β‐carotene. According to prior researches, variety of plant, solvent, light, pH and temperature affect the yield of polyphenols and anthocyanins extraction. Therefore, we will study these parameters in this article.

The bioactive compounds of barberry such as organic acids are widely used in medical and food industries. The effects of extraction and processing conditions including varieties (B. integerrima: A, B. vulgaris: P), solvents (water: W, ethanol: E), light (presence: L or absence: T), pH (3 and 1.5), temperatures (25 and 50C), processes of heating (at 95 and 80C), chilling (ref. 1 and 2 months), freezing (con), microwave (mic) and gamma irradiation (at doses of 0.5–10 kGy) on organic acid profile were studied. The highest (acetic, malic and ascorbic) and lowest (fumaric) amounts (mg/100g extract) of organic acids in extraction conditions were as follows: acetic in AWT325 (23,124.53 ± 747.33), malic in PET1.525 (21,035.18 ± 21.05), ascorbic in AET350 (19,796.20 ± 104.44) and fumaric in PWL325 (62.30 ± 0.45). The highest and lowest amounts of organic acids in processing conditions were as follows, respectively: acetic (Amic 17,915.07 ± 164.38) and fumaric (Acon 38.84 ± 1.44). Practical Applications The Berberis vulgaris fruit is useful as tonic for liver and heart; it prevents chronic bleeding; reduces mucus, triglycerides, cholesterol and blood pressure; and also purifies the blood. It is effective in the treatment of gallbladder, bleeding hemorrhoids, antiparasitic liver, diabetes, gout, kidney stones, colon cancer, prostate inflammation, malaria, fever, asthma and neurological diseases. Owing to its color and mellow taste B. vulgaris fruit is used as a seasoning in Persian food. Barberry fruits are used in preparing sauces, jellies, carbonated drinks, candies, food color powders, jams, marmalades, chocolates and nectars. B. integerrima fruits are used to prepare juices. The use of barberry fruit as a natural food colorant rich in anthocyanins instead of harmful artificial ones was studied by researchers. In addition, barberry fruits contain polyphenols with beneficial antioxidant activities that reduce damages due to free radicals and prevent chronic diseases and cancers.

Bioactive food components are active ingredients in food or dietary supplements proven to have a role in health and they are safe for human consumption. These compounds exert their antioxidant effects by different mechanisms such as hydrogen atom transfer (HAT) or single electron transfer (SET) and their efficiencies can be evaluated by several methods such as ferric reducing ability of plasma (FRAP), trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC), dipheny-picrylhydrazil (DPPH), Folin-Ciocaltue method (FCM), etc. In this review, these mechanisms and methods will be discussed in details.

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BACKGROUND: Barberry, is the main agricultural product in South Khorasan province of Iran, after saffron. Fresh fruit is perishable with short storage time. OBJECTIVE: Irradiation is an economical modern technology in food processing which maintains nutritional values and enhance shelf life of raw food without using any additives. METHODS: Barberry fruit was harvested in Birjand city by methods including “cutting branches” and “collecting fallen fruit from the cluster”. Fruit on cut branches was dried at ambient temperature under shadow which is known as “puffy barberry” locally. Fruit has fallen under shrubs was dried on a clean cloth under sunlight and locally is famed as “jewel barberry”. Some of fresh barberries were treated by osmotic solution and then they have been dried. Untreated dried fruit was processed by, freezing pasteurization and gamma irradiation at doses of 0, 3, 5 and 10 kGy. Effects of dried barberry types (puffy and jewel), processes, 6 months of storage at temperature of 4 or 25°C on texture, color and sensory properties of fruit were evaluated. RESULTS: Puffy barberry irradiated at 5 kGy by gamma radiations, after 6 months of storage at 4°C showed an acceptable quality. CONCLUSIONS: Combination of irradiation and refrigerated storage were reported as optimal conditions of processing and storage for barberry fruit.