Total polyphenols, total anthocyanins and antioxidant activity of various berries: [aronia (Aronia melanocarpa), blackberry (Rubus fruticosus), red raspberry (Rubus idaeus), and strawberry (Fragaria anannassa)] have been evaluated in this study by using Folin-Ciocalteau, pH-differential, and DPPH method. Amount of anthocyanins ranged from 232 to 4341 mg kg-1 in strawberry and aronia, respectively. Total polyphenol content varied from 1005 mg kg-1 in strawberry to 10637 mg kg-1 in aronia. Aronia contains the highest amounts of polyphenols and anthocyanins among the berries studied. It shows the highest antioxidant activity, as well. Therefore, individual polyphenolic compounds of aronia were studied further in more details. The amount of fl avonols (quercetin, myricetin, kaempferol) and anthocyanins in aronia was determined by using HPLC method. Anthocyanins found in aronia were derivatives of cyanidin of which the most abundant were cyanidin-3- galactoside (68.9%) and cyanidin-3-arabinoside (24.5%). Quercetin was the main flavonol, with 93.07 % in total flavonol amount. The level of kaempferol was low (6.93%) while myricetin was not identified.

berries; aronia; flavonols; anthocyanins and polyphenols

Published by University of Zagreb, Faculty of Agriculture, Zagreb, CROATIA
Sponsored by Ministry Science and Education of the Republic of Croatia