Chemical parameters profile analysis by liquid chromatography and antioxidative activity of the Saskatoon berry fruits and their components

Abstract

The main goals of the study were to determine nutritional parameters including contents of organic acids, sugars, and bioactive compounds as well as the antioxidant activity of fruits and fruit components of seven selected Saskatoon berry (Alnifolia alnifolia) genotypes. Fruits of three Polish clones (‘no 5/6’, ‘type N’, and ‘type S’) and of four Canadian cultivars (‘Martin’, ‘Pembina’, ‘Smoky’, and ‘Thiessen’) and their components including peel, flesh and seeds were used in the study. The antioxidant potential was determined by the radical scavenging capacity assay, the profiles of organic acids and sugars were analyzed by high-pressure liquid chromatography and the bioactive compounds were quantified using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography. Fruits of the tested genotypes and their components differed significantly in their antioxidant activity and in their contents of sugars, organic acids and bioactive compounds. Fruits of the ‘clone type S’ showed the highest antioxidant activity, while those of cvs. ‘Thiessen’ and ‘Smoky’ had the highest amount of polyphenols and organic acids. The highest contents of organic acids and bioactive compounds were determined in the fruit peel of the cvs. ‘Thiessen’ and ‘Smoky’ and ‘clone type S’. The total content of organic acids in fruits of the tested genotypes and their components ranged from 2.50 g/100 g dm (seeds) to 20.50 g/100 g dm (flesh). Malic, quinic, and tartaric acids were found to prevail in these fruits. In turn, the cluster analysis and principal components analysis helped determining the most important variables and identifying three groups of genotypes clustered depending on similarities in the content of individual compounds testes. Results indicated that fruits of the tested Saskatoon berry genotypes and their components were valuable sources of natural antioxidants, while fruit components such as peel and seeds could be used to develop new functional foods, and super foods with health-promoting properties, and also as medical, pharmaceutical or cosmetic components.