Antioxidant Properties and Preliminary Evaluation of Phytochemical Composition of Different Anatomical Parts of Amaranth

Antioxidant properties of amaranth extracts isolated sequentially by acetone and methanol/water from defatted plant leaves, flowers, stems and seeds were assessed by ABTS^+?, DPPH^?, ORAC and total phenols content (TPC) assays. In addition, antioxidant properties of solid plant material were evaluated by the direct QUENCHER method using the same assays. Leaves and flowers of amaranth as well as their extracts possessed the highest antioxidant activities. Radical scavenging capacity in ABTS^+? assay for leaves, flowers, stems and seeds evaluated by QUENCHER method were 144.24?±?2.41, 112.33?±?7.45, 19.05?±?1.13 and 21.82?±?1.06 μmol trolox equivalents in 1 g of dry weight, respectively. On-line HPLC-DPPH^? assay was used to determine the activity of separated compounds and it was observed that rutin was the main radical scavenger in amaranth extracts. Preliminary screening of extract composition was performed by UPLC/ESI-QTOF-MS and rutin, nicotiflorin, isoquercitrin, 4-hydroxybenzoic and p-coumaric acids were identified by measuring their accurate mass and retention time.     

Physical, Chemical, and Antioxidant Activity Characterization of Pitaya (Stenocereus pruinosus) Fruits

Fruits with red and orange flesh of the columnar cactus pitaya (Stenocereus pruinosus) were studied to evaluate physical characteristics, total soluble solids, betalains and soluble phenols content, and antioxidant activity. Fruits had, in average, weight of 179.0 g, 9.8 °Brix, 9.4 % carbohydrates, 1.25 % protein, 0.11 % ethereal extract, 0.60 % crude fiber, and 0.62 % ash. Also, fruits resulted rich in Fe (22.8–27.8 mg/kg). Hue angle and contents of betacyanins, betaxanthins (μg/g dry sample), and total soluble phenols (mg GAE/g fresh sample) were 19.8°, 2860.0, 3210.0, and 1.6 in the red material, and 28.9°, 470.0, 2670.0, and 1.2, respectively, in the orange fruit. The antioxidant capacity was higher in the red material, since the ABTS (2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid)) technique reported 1090.6 and 735.4 μmol of Trolox equivalents/g fresh flesh in red and orange fruits, respectively, while the oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) assay reported 7.84 and 5.16 μmol of Trolox equivalents/g fresh flesh, respectively. The chromatographic profile showed five betalains in red fruits, but only four of them were observed in those orange fleshed.     

Antioxidant and Antihypertensive Activity of Extract from Thymus serpyllum L. in Experimental Hypertension

The low incidence of cardiovascular disease in Mediterranean countries leads to an increased interest of the scientific community for the Mediterranean diet. Our aim was to evaluate total phenol and flavonoid contents, antioxidant capacity, free radical scavenging activity and potential antihypertensive effect of aqueous extract obtained from Thymus serpyllum L. (wild thyme, TE), an aromatic herb from the Lamiaceae family (highly present in Mediterranean diet), in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and in normotensive Wistar rats. Total phenol content of TE was 2008.33?±?10.6 mg/L GAE, and rosmarinic and caffeic acids were predominant phenolic compounds. The ferric reducing/antioxidant power and antioxidant capacity analysis revealed strong antioxidative properties of TE. In vitro nitric oxide-scavenging activity of 1 mg/l TE was 63.43 % with the IC₅₀ value of 122.36 μg/ml. Bolus injection of TE (100 mg/kg body weight i.v.) induced significant decrease of systolic and diastolic blood pressure and total peripheral resistance in SHR, without effects on these parameters in normotensive Wistar rats. Cardiac index remained unchanged after TE treatment in all experimental rats. Given dose of TE did not show significant nitric oxide-scavenging activity in vivo. Our results indicate that TE may protect against hypertension in experimental model of essential hypertension.     

Anti-hyperglycemic Effect of Bilberry, Blackberry and Mulberry Ultrasonic Extracts on Diabetic Rats

Small fruits like bilberry, blackberry and mulberry are rich sources of anthocyanins and other phenols, compounds with a certified antioxidant activity and spectacular effects in some chronic diseases. Romanian bilberry, blackberry and mulberry extracts were tested as anti-hyperglycemic agents on diabetic rats. Anthocyanins extraction was carried out with 80 % acidified ethanol in ultrasonically conditions at 23?±?2 °C and 40 kHz. Monomeric anthocyanins content was determined by pH differential method and varied between 1200 and 2800 mg/L. The analyses of anthocyanins were achieved using high performance liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry. Phenolics content was determined by Folin-Ciocalteu procedure and values varied between 2320 and 4250 mg/L gallic acid. Antioxidant activities of extracts were estimated by DPPH scavenging method and the values varied between 8 and 16 miliequivalents Trolox. In order to evaluate the toxicology of the extracts, the heavy metals concentration and pesticides content were analyzed. The extracts were administrated to diabetic rats in drinking water for five weeks. The administration of bilberry extract offered no satisfactory results. Treatment with blackberry extract determined a significant decrease of glucose level from 360 to about 270 mg/dL (p?<?0.05). The mulberry extract administration determined a significant decrease of glucose level from 252 mg/dL at the start day to 155 mg/dL at the final of experiment (p?<?0.05).     

Inhibition of Key Enzymes Linked to Obesity by Preparations From Mediterranean Dietary Plants: Effects on α-Amylase and Pancreatic Lipase Activities

One of the most important strategy in the treatment of obesity includes the development of nutrient digestion and absorption inhibitors. Inhibition of digestive enzymes is one of the most widely studied mechanisms used to determine the potential efficacy of natural products as hypolipidemic and hypoglycaemic agents. In vitro studies here reported were performed to evaluate the inhibitory activity of five species (as hydroalcoholic extracts) of edible plants from Calabria region (Italy) on amylase and lipase by monitoring the hydrolysis of p-NPC and the hydrolysis of glycoside bonds in digestible carbohydrate foods. The formulation obtained from Clematis vitalba L. exhibited the strongest inhibitory effect on pancreatic lipase (IC₅₀?=?0.99 mg/ml) and on α-amylase (IC₅₀?=?31.52 μg/ml). In order to explore metabolome production HPTLC analysis of the extracts was performed, revealing the predominance of (±)-catechin, caffeic acid and chlorogenic acid in C. vitalba formulation at concentration of 23.18?±?3.14, 13.63?±?0.65 and 18.88?±?0.76 mg/g, respectively. GC/MS analysis was used to identify fatty acids and terpene composition.     

Phytochemical Properties and Antioxidant Activities of Extracts from Wild Blueberries and Lingonberries

Among Vaccinium species, blueberries (Vaccinium myrtillus L.) and lingonberries (Vaccinium vitis-idaea) are popular in the human diet. In this study, total phenolic, total flavonoid and total monomeric anthocyanin contents in the ethanol-water extracts of blueberry and lingonberry fruits grown wild in the forests in the central region of Poland were assayed. Antioxidant activities of the extracts from each plant were also evaluated for scavenging ability on 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radicals and reducing power by cupric reducing antioxidant capacity (CUPRAC) method. Total phenolics in the blueberry extracts ranged from 4.58 to 5.28 mg GAE CE/g fw. The extracts from lingonberry fruits contained higher total contents of phenolic compounds (5.82–7.60 mg GAE/g fw) as well as total flavonoids (5.22–6.47 μmol CE/g fw) than those from blueberries (3.74–4.18 μmol CE/g fw). For the total monomeric anthocyanin contents, the blueberry extracts presented significantly higher values (3.01–3.93 mg cyanidin-3-glucoside (C3G) equivalent/g fw) in comparison to the lingonberry extracts (0.32–0.47). Blueberry extracts exhibited higher antioxidant activity measured by both assays in comparison to lingonberry extracts. Water extracts from fresh and dried fruits also exhibited significant antioxidant activities for both types of berries. Considering the health benefits that have been associated with polyphenolic consumption, these fruits could appear as a good source of this group of phytochemical compounds for their direct consumption or their use as ingredients for the design of new food products or food supplements.     

Anti-proliferative Effect of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Melissa officinalis</Emphasis> on Human Colon Cancer Cell Line

Melissa officinalis L. (Lamiaceae) is consumed as a traditional herbal tea in the Mediterranean region. The cytotoxic effect of the 50% ethanolic and aqueous extract, determined by the MTT and NR assays, was evaluated in vitro on Human Colon Cancer Cell Line (HCT-116), using Triton 10% as positive control. The 50% ethanolic extract showed significant differences after 72 h of treatment, reducing cell proliferation to values close to 40%, even the lowest dose tested (5 μg/ml). In the MTT assay, the same extract caused the lowest cell viability with 13% at a concentration of 1,000 μg/ml after 72 h of treatment, being a value lower than Triton 10%. The antioxidant activity was also confirmed evaluating the capacity of the extracts to scavenge ABTS and DPPH radicals, and IC₅₀ values were highly correlated with the total phenolic and flavonoid content. Bioassay guided fractionation led to the isolation of an anti-proliferative compound, rosmarinic acid. Its structural elucidation was performed by HPLC/DAD/ESI/MS analysis. High dose of rosmarinic acid (1,000 μg/ml) was clearly cytotoxic against HCT-116 cells, with a significant decrease in cell number since the earliest time point (24 h).     

Antioxidant, antibacterial, and antiviral effects of Lactuca sativa extracts

Antioxidant, antibacterial and antiviral effects of aqueous and methanol extracts of Lactuca sativa var longifolia leaves were investigated. The antioxidant activity was evaluated using the DPPH assay. The effect of the extracts against 5 Gram-positive and 6 Gram-negative bacteria was tested. The antiviral activity was determined against human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) strain AD-169 (ATCC Ref. VR 538) and coxsackie B virus type 3 (CoxB-3) using a cytopathic effect (CPE) reduction assay. The methanol extract had the highest total phenolic contents (235.31 mg CE/g extract). It exhibited a significantly (p < 0.05) greater hydroxyl radical-scavenging activity (IC₅₀ = 3.5 μg/ml) than the aqueous extract (4.1 μg/ml). It was also the most effective extract with the lowest MIC (2.5 mg/ml) against all Gram negative and Gram positive bacteria. Methanol and aqueous extracts exhibited antiviral activity against HCMV and Cox-B3 viruses with IC₅₀ of 200 μg/ml.     

Antihyperlipidemic Effect of Methanolic Extract from Opuntia joconostle Seeds in Mice Fed a Hypercholesterolemic Diet

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the hypolipidemic effect of a methanolic extract from Opuntia joconostle seeds fed to mice in a hypercholesterolemic diet. Acute toxicity of the methanolic extract was investigated by an established method. Phenolic composition and antioxidant activity were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography and DPPH, respectively. The total phenolic content of Opuntia joconostle seeds was 47.85?±?1.29 mg gallic acid equivalents/g dry weight. The main phenolic compounds were identified as quercetin, rutin, and cafeic acid. Percent inhibition of DPPH⁺ was 49.76?±?0.49 %. The oral LD₅₀ for the methanolic extract from the Opuntia joconostle seeds was >5,000 mg/kg BW. Mice fed a hypercholesterolemic diet for six days exhibited significantly (P?≤?0.001) higher plasma lipid levels than mice fed a normal diet. Remarkably, supplementation with methanolic extract from Opuntia joconostle at doses of 1, 2, and 5 g/kg body weight significantly (P?≤?0.001) prevented the increase in total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides level, and atherogenic index. Similar concentrations of the HDL cholesterol were observed in both treated and control groups. A significant dose-dependent reduction in lipid levels was noted for treated groups compared to the hypercholesterolemic group. We attribute this result to the seeds’ phenolic composition. This methanolic extract has potential to be included in short-term hypercholesterolemia treatment regimens as it exhibits hypolipidemic activity with no apparent toxic manifestations.     

Functional Teas from the Leaves of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Arbutus unedo</Emphasis>: Phenolic Content,Antioxidant Activity,and Detection of Efficient Radical Scavengers

The phenolic content/composition and antioxidant activity of hot/cold infusion and decoction from the leaves of Arbutus unedo were studied for the first time. 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH^●), 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) radical cation (ABTS^●+), crocin-bleaching, copper-reducing, and liposome accelerated oxidation assays were used for the evaluation of the activity in vitro. In vivo, the extracts were examined for their ability to protect S. cerevisiae cells from H₂O₂ induced oxidative stress. An on-line high-performance liquid chromatography-DPPH^● assay was applied to identify potent radical scavengers and comment on their contribution to the total activity. The addition of leaves to boiling water (decoction) was the most appropriate practice to apply since the highest phenol intake (220.2 mg gallic acid/cup served) was obtained. Additionally, its antioxidant activity was equal or superior to that of the other extracts. Flavonols (~51–61 mg/g dry extract) were the main phenols in all the extracts, with quercitrin accounting for ~20% of the total phenol amount. The on-line DPPH^● method verified the high potency of the decoction and indicated as the most active radical scavengers, two galloylquinic acid derivatives and myricitrin, accounting for ~28–45% and ~11–13% of the total scavenging, respectively. Present data may contribute to the future exploitation of A. unedo leaves by the food industry for health-promoting herbal tea preparations and dietary supplements.     

Anthocyanins,Phenolic Acids and Antioxidant Properties of Juçara Fruits (Euterpe edulis M.) Along the On-tree Ripening Process

Juçara (Euterpe edulis M.) fruits are an interesting source of phenolic compounds, mainly anthocyanins, making them valuable to the food and pharmaceutical industries. Juçara fruits were harvested along the on-tree ripening process between March and June as practiced in Paraná state, Brazil and examined for their total anthocyanin content (TAC), total phenolic content (TPC), total phenolic acid (TPA) and total antioxidant capacity (TAA). Overall, TAC increased (91.52–236.19 mg cyanidin-3-glucoside equivalent/100 g dm) whereas TPC (81.69–49.09 mg GAE/g dm) and TPA (44.27–30.95 mg/100 g dm) decreased during ripening of juçara fruits. Use of tandem mass spectrometry allowed the identification of cyanidin-3,5-diglucoside, peonidin-3-glucoside and peonidin-3-rutinoside for the first time in juçara fruits. The analysis of the phenolic acids by HPLC-MS/MS indicated the presence of gallic, protocatechuic, p-hydroxybenzoic, vanillic, chlorogenic, caffeic, syringic, p-coumaric, sinapinic and ferulic acids. The high antioxidant capacity using DPPH radical scavenging capacity (655.89–745.32 μmol TE/g dm) and ORAC assays (1088.10–2071.55 μmol TE/g dm) showed that juçara fruits have potential as a source of novel natural antioxidants for disease prevention and health promotion, and also as natural food additives for developing new functional food products.     

Functional Food Quality of Curcuma caesia, Curcuma zedoaria and Curcuma aeruginosa Endemic to Northeastern India

Curcuma spp. (Zingiberaceae) is one of the significant ingredients in food and traditional medicines. The current study was to investigate health-benefits of the rhizomes of endemic Curcuma caesia, Curcuma zedoaria and Curcuma aeruginosa using in vitro antioxidant, antiinflammatory and human tumor cell proliferation inhibitory activities. Among these, C. caesia (black turmeric) showed the best overall biological activities based on [3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazole-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide] (MTT) and lipid peroxidation (LPO), cyclooxygenase (COX-1 and -2) enzymes, and tumor cell growth inhibitory assays. The hexane and methanolic extracts of C. caesia (CCH and CCM) showed LPO inhibition by 31 and 43 %, and COX-2 enzyme by 29 and 38 %, respectively, at 100 μg/ml. Eleven terpenoids were isolated and identified. The MTT antioxidant assay revealed that the extracts of three Curcuma spp. at 250 μg/ml and isolates at 5 μg/ml demonstrated activity comparable to positive controls vitamin C and t-butyl hydroquinone (TBHQ) at 25 μg/ml. The extracts inhibited LPO by 40 % at 250 μg/ml whereas pure isolates 1–11 by about 20 %. The extracts and isolates inhibited COX-1 and -2 enzymes between the ranges of 3–56 and 5–30 %, respectively. The in vitro biological activity exhibited by the extracts and isolates of C. caesia rhizome further supported its use in traditional medicine.     

Influence of Growth Stage and Season on the Antioxidant Constituents of Cosmos caudatus

The impact of tropical seasons (dry and wet) and growth stages (8, 10 and 12 weeks) of Cosmos caudatus on the antioxidant activity (AA), total phenolic content (TPC) as well as the level of bioactive compounds were evaluated using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The plant morphology (plant height) also showed variation between the two seasons. Samples planted from June to August (during the dry season) exhibited a remarkably higher bioactivity and height than those planted from October to December (during the wet season). The samples that were harvested at eight weeks of age during the dry season showed the highest bioactivity with values of 26.04 g GAE/100 g and 22.1 μg/ml for TPC and IC_50, respectively. Identification of phytochemical constituents in the C. caudatus extract was carried out by liquid chromatography coupled with diode array detection and electrospray tandem mass (LC-DAD-ESIMS/MS) technique and the confirmation of constituents was achieved by comparison with literature data and/or co-chromatography with authentic standards. Six compounds were indentified including quercetin 3-O-rhamnoside, quercetin 3-O-glucoside, rutin, quercetin 3-O-arabinofuranoside, quercetin 3-O-galactoside and chlorogenic acid. Their concentrations showed significant variance among the 8, 10 and 12-week-old herbs during both seasons.     

Composition of Antioxidants and Amino Acids in Stevia Leaf Infusions

Stevia, a non-caloric natural sweetener with beneficial properties and considerable antioxidants and amino acids, is increasingly consumed as an infusion. This work evaluates the influence of the conditions (temperature: 50, 70 or 90 °C and time: 1, 5, 20 or 40 min) applied to obtain Stevia infusions, on antioxidants (total phenols, flavonoids and antioxidant activity) and amino acids. The total concentration of the eleven amino acids found was 11.70 mg/g in dried leaves and from 6.84 to 9.11 mg/g per gram of Stevia in infusions. However, infusions showed higher levels of certain amino acids (alanine, asparagine, leucine and proline), and greater values of the three antioxidant parameters in comparison with dry leaves. Temperature had more influence (minimum values at 50 °C and maximum at 90 °C) than time in the case of antioxidants. At 90 °C there were no important increases in the extraction of antioxidant compounds after 5 min; each gram of Stevia had 117 mg trolox (total antioxidant activity), 90 mg gallic acid (total phenols) and 56 mg catechin equivalents (flavonoids). Varying the temperature and time conditions no notable differences were observed in the concentrations of the majority of amino acids. However, the infusion treatment at 90 °C for 5 min was the best, as it gave the highest yield of 8 of the 11 amino acids. Therefore, with respect to the compounds analyzed in this study, the best way to obtain Stevia leaf infusions is the same as the domestic process, almost boiling water for a short time.     

Maritime Halophyte Species from Southern Portugal as Sources of Bioactive Molecules

Extracts of five halophytes from southern Portugal (Arthrocnemum macrostachyum, Mesembryanthemum edule, Juncus acutus, Plantago coronopus and Halimione portulacoides), were studied for antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and in vitro antitumor properties. The most active extracts towards the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical were the methanol extracts of M. edule (IC₅₀ = 0.1 mg/mL) and J. acutus (IC₅₀ = 0.4 mg/mL), and the ether extracts of J. acutus (IC₅₀ = 0.2 mg/mL) and A. macrostachyum (IC₅₀ = 0.3 mg/mL). The highest radical scavenging activity (RSA) against the 2,2′-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) (ABTS) radical was obtained in the ether extract of J. acutus (IC₅₀ = 0.4 mg/mL) and H. portulacoides (IC₅₀ = 0.9 mg/mL). The maximum total phenolic content (TPC) was found in the methanol extract of M. edule (147 mg gallic acid equivalents (GAE)/g) and in the ether extract of J. acutus (94 mg GAE/g). Significant decreases in nitric oxide (NO) production were observed after incubation of macrophages with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and the chloroform extract of H. portulacoides (IC₅₀ = 109 µg/mL) and the hexane extract of P. coronopus (IC₅₀ = 98.0 µg/mL). High in vitro cytotoxic activity and selectivity was obtained with the ether extract of J. acutus. Juncunol was identified as the active compound and for the first time was shown to display selective in vitro cytotoxicity towards various human cancer cells.     

Physicochemical assessment and bioactive properties of condensed distillers solubles,a by-product from the sorghum bio-fuel industry

Large volumes of condensed distillers solubles (CDS) are generated as by-products, from the sorghum bioethanol industry. The objective was to assess the physico-chemical and bioactive properties of CDS. The unfractionated CDS showed the highest content of phenolic compounds (16 mg GAE/g), antioxidant (522 μM Trolox/g) and antimicrobial activity (MIC 1%(w/v) against Campylobacter spp.) compared to its extracts. The water and methanol extracts also showed high levels of phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity (11.6 and 9.2 mg GAE/g and 349 and 409 μM Trolox/g respectively), followed by ethanol and acetone extractions (7.5 and 6.6 mg GAE/g; 337 and 346 μM Trolox/g respectively). A positive correlation was revealed between total phenol and antioxidant activity. The main phenolic compounds found in the extracts were protocatechuic acid, 4-hydroxybenzoic acid, taxifolin, ferulic acid, cinnamic acid and p-coumaric acid. This study indicates the potential of using CDS as a functional ingredient for other food and feed applications.     

Response surface optimization of antioxidants extraction from chestnut (Castanea sativa) bur

The chestnut bur, a forest waste product from chestnut processing in the food industry, was studied as a potential source of natural antioxidants. Extractions were performed using aqueous solutions of methanol or ethanol. Experiments were planned according to an incomplete 3³ factorial design to study the influence of temperature (25-75 °C), time (30-120 min) and solvent concentration (50-90%) on extraction yield and on extract properties: total phenols content, antioxidant activity (using the FRAP, DPPH and ABTS methods) and average molecular weights. All dependent variables were influenced by temperature and solvent concentration whereas the influence of time was almost negligible. Using the response surface methodology the optimal extraction conditions were selected: the highest temperature assayed (75 °C), the lowest solvent concentration (50%) and an extraction time of 75 min for the methanolic extractions and of 30 min for the ethanolic ones. Under those conditions the values predicted for extraction yield and total phenols content were 18.95% and 36.32 g GAE/100 g extract for the methanolic extract and 17.95% and 26.11 g GAE/100 g extract for the ethanolic ones. Methanolic extracts showed superior total phenols content and antioxidant properties and slightly higher extraction yields than ethanolic extracts; however, ethanol is recommended for food applications due to its GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe) qualification. Gallic acid esters of glucose, ellagic acid and small proportions of quercetin-3-β-d-glucoside, phenolic compounds with demonstrated antioxidant properties, were identified in chestnut bur extracts by RP-HPLC-ESI-TOF.     

Accelerated solvent extraction of phenolic compounds from sorghum brans

Most phenolic compounds in cereals are bound to cell wall components and thus they are difficult to extract. Finding techniques to enhance polyphenol extraction is important due to their potential health benefits. The objective of this study was to evaluate extractability of sorghum phenolic compounds using solvents under high pressure and temperature conditions. Polyphenols from black and tannin sorghum bran were extracted using an accelerated solvent extractor (ASE) at 60, 120 and 150 °C. ASE at 120 and 150 °C using 50 and 70% ethanol/water (v/v) was efficient in extracting similar amount of phenols (45 mg GAE/g) and 12% more antioxidants (628 μmol TE/g) from black sorghum compared to traditional methods using aqueous acetone and acidified methanol. High pressure and temperature did not improve the extraction of phenols and antioxidants in tannin sorghum as much as in black sorghum. This could be due to differences in grain structure and phenolic profile (different molecular weights) between the two samples. Another reason is that tannins may be interacting with proteins and carbohydrates under heat, thus they could be extracted but not measured. Therefore, there is a potential of using ASE extracts from black sorghum bran to produce beverages and colorants containing high antioxidant content.     

Juice, Pulp and Seeds Fractionated from Dry Climate Primocane Raspberry Cultivars (Rubus idaeus) Have Significantly Different Antioxidant Capacity, Anthocyanin Content and Color

Raspberries contain flavonoid antioxidants whose relative concentrations may vary between the juice, pulp, and seed fractions. Oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC), total anthocyanin content, and berry color were determined for six cultivars of primocane raspberries grown in a dry climate (Utah, USA). Significant ORAC differences were found between juice (18.4?±?0.39 μmol TE/g), pulp (24.45?±?0.43), and seeds (273.27?±?11.15) with all Utah cultivars combined. A significantly higher concentration of anthocyanins was present in Utah raspberry juice (20.86?±?0.35 mg cyanidin-3-glucoside eq./100 g), compared to pulp (13.96?±?0.35). Anthocyanin content of juice and pulp were significantly positively correlated with dark color (L*). This is the first report of fractional differences in dry climate raspberries, and has implications for the juice and supplement industries.