CHEMICAL COMPOSITION, BIOACTIVE COMPOUNDS AND GENETIC DISSIMILARITY AMONG CULTIVARS BLACKBERRY (Rubus spp.) CULTIVATED IN SOUTH MINAS GERAIS

Fruit cultivars Arapaho, Brazos, Caingangue, Cherokee, Choctaw, Comanche, Ebano, Guarani, Tupy and Xavante and a specie of redberry (Rubus rosifolius Smith), were evaluated for chemical composition. We also evaluated the genetic variation among cultivars blackberry and specie of redberry. The results demonstrate variations in the chemical composition of the fruits studied. Redberry showed lower humidity content and values for virtually components ash, total sugars, reducing sugars, non-reducing sugars, total pectin, soluble pectin, phenols, flavonoids, lycopene, beta-carotene and vitamin A. With the exception of moisture, the anthocyanins, the percentage of solubilization and the antioxidant activity, which showed higher in fruit of Ebano cultivar. It was also found that fruits of redberry and Ebano cultivar showed the highest degree of genetic divergence for the analyzed variables. This indicates the possibility of using them in breeding programs aimed at improving the chemical composition.