Antioxidative activity in vitro of different vaccinium genotypes

Abstract

In recent years increased attention has been paid to horticultural plants which fruits are source of biologically active substances known for their antioxidative properties. To increase the use of blueberry fruit in pharmaceutics, a better understanding of their biochemical components and healthpromoting activities is needed. Antioxidative properties of berry juices of 19 blueberry genotypes (Vaccinium corymbosum L.) as well as wild genotype of bog blueberry (V. uliginosum L.) were evaluated by ABTS˙+ radical scavenging capacity (RSC), ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), and oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC). ABTS•+ antioxidant activity was varying from 6.48 μmol TE/g to 20.90 μmol TE/g. The highest antioxidant activity in this assay was determined for bog blueberry (20.90 μmol TE/g), the Lithuanian cultivars ‘Freda’ (12.0 μmol TE/g) and ‘Danutė’ (11.5 μmol TE/g). The reducing power in FRAP assay may be expressed in Fe2+ equivalents and/or Trolox equivalents. Antioxidative activity in analyzed Vaccinium was varying from 4.9 Fe2+/g and 3.0 μmol TE/g to 31.9 μmol Fe2+/g and 17.8 μmol TE/g. The highest FRAP values were obtained for bog blueberry juices (31.9 μmol Fe2+/g and 17.8 μmol TE/g). The range of ORAC assay among the different Vaccinium berry genotype was varying from 4.2 μmol TE /g to 45.6 μmol TE/g. The highest values of all the analyzed berry samples were determined for bog blueberry (45,6 μmol TE/g), the Lithuanian cultivar ‘Danutė’ (20,7 μmol TE/g) and the cultivar ‘Northland’ (20,1 μmol TE/g). The juices of newly bred Lihuanian cultivars and bog blueberry demonstrated significantly stronger antioxidative properties.