Nutritional value of wild berry species from mountain Kopaonik (Serbia)

Abstract

A large number of wild relatives of cultivated fruits in Serbia indicates a significant biological and primarily genetic diversity of wild berry species. Wild berry species are rich in phenols that are usually associated with health benefits due to their antioxidant capacity. The purpose of this work was to investigate the content of total anthocyanins and total phenols of wild berry species fruit extracts originating from an area of mountain Kopaonik (South Serbia): strawberry (Fragaria vesca L. and Fragaria viridis L.), raspberry (Rubus ideaeus L. and Rubus sahatilis L.), blackberry (Rubus fructicosus L.), red currant (Ribes petraeum L.) and blueberry (Vaccinium myrtillus L.) as well as their antioxidant capacity. Blueberry and blackberry were characterized by the highest presence of anthocyanins (3.71 and 1.33 g C3G/kg FW). The blueberry extract (Vaccinium myrtillus L.) was also the richest in the content of total phenols (4.94 g GAE/kg FW) followed by an extract of strawberry (Fragaria viridis L.) and blackberry (Rubus fructicosus L.). The antioxidant effects of the sample extracts were evaluated through DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1- picrylhydrazyl) antiradical assay which is shown that raspberry species Rubus sahatilis L. had significantly higher antioxidative activity (244.87 mM TE/mL) compared to other examined wild berry species. However, despite the very high content of anthocyanins and phenols, the antioxidant capacity of blueberry extract was the lowest (211.78 mM TE/mL). In conclusion, the present research increased the knowledge about the nutritive properties of Serbian wild berry species in order to support their conservation and use in the breeding programs of small fruits for choosing berry fruits with a high content of health-promoting properties.