Antioxidant properties of fruits of raspberry and blackberry grown in central Europe

Fruits of several, mainly Polish cultivars of floricane- and primocane-fruiting red raspberry (Rubus idaeus), black raspberry (Rubus occidentalis) and blackberry (Rubus fruticosus), grown in central Europe during two successive vegetation periods, were investigated. The content of phenolic compounds, including anthocyanins, as well as antioxidant properties of fruit extracts were analysed. A number of methods were employed: ferric ion reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), cupric ion reducing antioxidant capacity (CUPRAC), 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging capacity involving both colorimetric and EPR spectrometric measurements. From among all the tested fruits black raspberries had the largest antioxidant capacity as verified by all methods used in this study. These berries were also the most abundant in phenolic and anthocyanin compounds. Blackberries were characterised by larger antioxidant capacity than red raspberry fruits which were accompanied by higher content of total phenolics and anthocyanins. Berries of primocane-fruiting cultivars, often used for intensive agricultural production, generally did not differ in the total phenolic and anthocyanin content as well as in the antioxidant capacity as compared to the traditional, floricane-fruiting ones. The research contributes to deep characterisation of central European berry fruits which due to their high content and large diversity of health-beneficial compounds are classified as natural functional food.