Composition and Antioxidant Activity of Anthocyanins and Non-Anthocyanin Flavonoids in Blackberry from Different Growth Stages

Jing Li; Chong Shi; Dongbei Shen; Tianyu Han; Wenlong Wu; Lianfei Lyu; Weilin Li

doi:10.3390/foods11182902

Composition and Antioxidant Activity of Anthocyanins and Non-Anthocyanin Flavonoids in Blackberry from Different Growth Stages

Foods. 2022 Sep 18;11(18):2902. doi: 10.3390/foods11182902.

Authors

Jing Li^{1

2

3}, Chong Shi¹, Dongbei Shen³, Tianyu Han¹, Wenlong Wu², Lianfei Lyu², Weilin Li¹

Affiliations

¹ Co-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, College of Forestry, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, China.
² Jiangsu Key Laboratory for the Research and Utilization of Plant Resources, Institute of Botany, Jiangsu Province and Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210014, China.
³ College of Light Industry and Food Engineering, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, China.

Abstract

The high nutritional value and unique flavor of blackberries make them a popular food choice among consumers. Anthocyanin content (AC) and non-anthocyanin flavonoid content (NAFC) are important functional components in blackberry. We tested the AC, NAFC, and antioxidant activities of two blackberry-Ningzhi 1 and Hull-during the following ripening stages: green-fruit stage (GFS), color-turning stage (CTS), reddening stage (RDS), and ripening stage (RPS). The results showed that NAFC decreased and AC increased gradually during the ripening stages. The NAFC of Hull blackberry was the highest during GFS (889.74 μg/g), while the AC of Ningzhi 1 blackberry was the highest during RPS (1027.08 μg/g). NAFC was the highest at the initial stage and gradually decreased with ripening. Anthocyanin accumulation mainly occurred during the later ripening stages. These results provide a reference for comparing the NAFC, AC, and antioxidant activity of Ningzhi 1 and Hull and their changes during different ripening stages.

Keywords: anthocyanin; blackberry; different ripening stages; flavonoids.

Grants and funding

This work was financially supported by the project “Research on Extraction and Utilization Technology of ‘Three Berries’ Functional Components in Nanjing National Agricultural High-Tech Industry Demonstration Zone (BE2020344) and the earmarked fund for Jiangsu Agricultural Industry Technology System (JATS[2021]511 and JATS[2022]510).