CHEMICAL AND ANTIOXIDANT PROPERTIES OF CULTIVATED AND WILDFRAGARIAANDRUBUSBERRIES

Abstract

Content of individual sugars, organic acids, total phenolics (TPH), some important phenolic compounds (kaempferol, myricetin, quercetin, and ellagic acid) and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) in the fruits of strawberry, raspberry and blackberry were studied. A comparison was made between cultivars and wild relatives of each species (Fragaria vesca L., Rubus idaeus L. and Rubus fruticosus L.). The main sugars found were fructose and glucose both in the fruits of wild species and the studied cultivars. Citric acid was determined to be the major organic acid in most of tested berries with the exception of blackberry cultivars, where malic acid was dominant. The content of individual phenolic compounds varied among the wild species, as well as among the studied cultivars. Ellagic acid content was higher in F. vesca, R. idaeus and R. fruticosus (122.5 mg/g FW, 12.71 mg/g FW and 61.7 mg/g FW, respectively) than that obtained in analyzed cultivars. Overall, TPH expressed higher values in the wild strawberry and blackberry species in comparison to the studied cultivars, and consequently, the highest levels of TAC were recorded in F. vesca (5.78 mg asc/ g FW), followed by R. fruticosus (4.95 mg asc/g FW). PRACTICAL APPLICATIONSIn recent years, both wild and cultivated berries have become very attractive for consumers because of potentially beneficial phytochemicals contained in these fruits. Fruit nutritional quality can be described by standard quality parameters (sugars and organic acids), and the analysis of antioxidant capacity influenced by specific related compounds. The importance of flavonoids and other phenolics have been suggested to play a preventive role in the development of cancer and heart disease. A significant positive correlation observed in this study between total phenolics and total antioxidant capacity indicate the need for the use of wild species in the breeding programs of small fruits, especially strawberry and blackberry, in order to increase their nutritive value and the health benefits. ISSN 0146-9428 Journal of Food Quality

Antibacterial and Antitumor Activities of Some Wild Fruits Grown in Turkey

“…Some studies about anticancer activities of some Rubus spp. have been recorded (4,10,14,27,41,54,55,57). Saenz et al (51) reported that hexanoic extract of C. monogyna demonstrated significant cytotoxic activity against larynx cancer cells.…”

“…there are many studies about the anticancer activities of Rubus spp. (4,10,14,27,41,54,55,57). Fruits and flowers of many Crataegus spp.…”

Phenolic composition and antioxidant capacity of integrated and conventionally grown strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa Duch.)

“…The dominant phenolic acid identified in our study was ellagic acid. Jakobek et al (2007) and Milivojević et al (2011) also found ellagic acid to be the major phenolic acid in strawberry fruits.…”

“…Numerous studies were done to evaluate the mechanisms for increased synthesis of polyphenol compounds in strawberry fruits. Their content varies among species and cultivars (Milivojević et al 2011), but it can also be affected by growth conditions including environmental factors and cultivations techniques. Exogenous factors such as cultivation system or fertilization can affect the yield and yield-related characteristics of strawberry (Pešaković et al 2013), but also the concentration of anthocyanins and antioxidant activity (Wang, Lin 2002;Crespo et al 2010).…”

BacHBerry: BACterial Hosts for production of Bioactive phenolics from bERRY fruits

“…Indeed, wild berries are commonly reported as particularly rich in diverse phenolic compounds, often as a result of phenolicassociated astringency having been bred out of cultivated species (Häkkinen et al 1999). The phenolic diversity of individual berries has been highlighted in many publications (Määttä et al 2003;Zadernowski et al 2005;Milivojević et al 2011), but studies that capture this broad diversity systematically are limited. In BacHBerry, we aimed not only to address this knowledge gap but also to go beyond the state-of-the-art by combining analyses of phenolic diversity with functional testing of berry extracts.…”