POLYPHENOL CONTENT AND ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY OF SOUR CHERRIES FROM SERBIA

The aim of this study was to evaluate the content of phenolics: the total phenols (TP), flavonoids (TF), anthocyanins (TA), as well as the total antioxidant capacity (TA C) in three sour cherry cultivars (Prunus cerasus L.) introduced to the southeast Serbia climate conditions. Among the investigated sour cherries, "Oblacinska" cultivar contained the highest amounts of all groups of phenolics, followed by "Cigancica" > "Marela". A significant difference were observed in the phenolic content among different cultivars and growing seasons (p < 0.05), and the phenolic compounds were significantly higher in the growing season 2009. The examined cultivars possess a high antioxidant capacity, and all phenolics of highy correlation with TAC. The following compounds were identified and quantified using HPLC-DAD: 4 anthocyanins, the most abundant of which was cyanidin-3-glucoside in "Marela" and "Oblacinska", and cyanidin-3-gluco-sylrutinoside in "Cigancica", and 4 hydroxycinnamic acids, the most abundant of which was neochlorogenic acid in all sour cherry cultivars. The growing and ripening process on the tree of sour cherry cv. "Oblacinska" was evaluated also. The results showed significant increases in total phenols during the ripening, the total anthocyanins and total antioxidant capacity and 4 quantified anthocyanins, however the neochlorogenic acid decreased during the ripening. The study indicated that the growing and climate conditions in southeast Serbia are convenient for introducing sour cherry cultivars.