Antioxidant properties and phenolic profile of the most widely appreciated cultivated berry species: A comparative study

Berries are in the form of a semi-bush or shrub, soft fleshy, juicy, often small and edible. They are generally in bright colours and may sweet or sour in taste. The present study reports a comparison of the antioxidant properties and phenolic profile of the most consumed berry species, namely redcurrant (Ribes rubrum L.), blackcurrant (Ribes nigrum L.), red raspberry (Rubus idaeus L.), blackberry (Rubus fruticosus L.), gooseberry (Ribes uva-crispa L.) and jostaberry (Ribes nidigrolaria Rud. Bauer & A. Bauer). Results of the present study suggested that the highest antioxidant activity (426.26 mg ∙ 100 g⁻¹) and anthocyanin contents (226.33 mg ∙ 100 g⁻¹) are found in Heritage variety of the raspberry species. The highest total phenol content was determined as 1,593.92 mg of Gallic Acid Equivalents (GAE) in jostaberry fruits. The highest ascorbic acid content was obtained from the Goliath variety of blackcurrant as 2,659.26 mg ∙ 100 g⁻¹. The highest ellagic acid value was found as 48.30 mg ∙ 100 g⁻¹ in gooseberry, the highest fumaric and citric acid concentrations were noted from jostaberry fruits as 121.88 mg ∙ 100 g⁻¹ and 14.84 mg ∙ 100 g⁻¹, respectively, while the highest malic acid content was determined as 14.70 mg ∙ 100 g⁻¹ in gooseberry fruits. Our results suggest that berries rich in antioxidant properties and phenolic profile may be an important raw plant material for both the pharmaceutical and food industries.