QUANTITATION AND DISTRIBUTION OF SIMPLE AND ACYLATED ANTHOCYANINS AND OTHER PHENOLICS IN BLUEBERRIES

Simple and acylated anthocyanins and other phenolics in ten cultivars and hybrids of lowbush and one cultivar of highbush blueberries were extracted, isolated and quantified by reversed phase HPLC and capillary gas liquid chromatography. All cultivars contained nonacylated glucosides and galactosides of delphinidin, cyanidin, petunidin, peonidin, and malvidin. Each anthocyanin also occurred in the acetylated form in eight of eleven cultivars. Total anthocyanins in blueberries ranged from 110 to 260 mg/100g of fresh berries. 'Blomidon' berries contained the lowest and 'Chignecto' berries the highest level. Acetylated anthocyanins made up to 35% of the total anthocyanins in 'Chignecto'. Chlorogenic acid was the major colorless phenolic of lowbush and highbush blueberries, at 50-100 mg/100 g fresh fruit.