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ARS Home » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #113061
Title: ANTIOXIDANT CAPACITY IN CRANBERRY IS INFLUENCED BY CULTIVAR AND STORAGE TEMPERATURE

Author
item Wang, Shiow
item STRETCH, ALLAN - USDA-ARS-FL-RETIRED

Submitted to: Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/28/2000
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Consumption of cranberries is beneficial to our health. Particularly, cranberry juice has been shown to reduce urinary tract infections. However, very little research has been conducted on the antioxidant capacity of the cranberry. We found that cranberries showed high antioxidant capacity. The relative antioxidant capacity of cranberries was affected by cultivar and storage temperatures. Antioxidant capacity, anthocyanins and total phenolic content increased during storage at temperatures between 32 and 59 F. A positive relationship existed between antioxidant values and anthocyanins or phenolic content Antioxidant capacity in cranberry fruit may be increased through postharvest storage manipulation and commercially feasible technologies may be developed to enhance the health benefits of cranberries. The results from this study will benefit plant breeders, growers, researchers, and the general public.

Technical Abstract: Ten cranberry cultivars were evaluated for oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC), anthocyanins and total phenolic content after three months storage at 0, 5, 10, 15 and 20 C. The cranberry cultivars reported in this study showed high antioxidant capacities. The relative antioxidant capacity of cranberry was affected by cultivars and storage temperatures. Among ten cranberry cultivars used in this study, Early Black, Crowley and Franklin had higher antioxidant capacities compared to the other cultivars. ORAC values, anthocyanins and total phenolic content increased during storage between 0 and 15 C. The highest increase in antioxidant activity, anthocyanins and phenolic content occurred at 15 C storage. Fruit stored at 20 C had lower ORAC values than those stored at 15 C. A positive relationship existed between ORAC values and anthocyanins or phenolic content in all ten cranberry cultivars. At different storage temperatures, the correlation coefficients also showed significantly between ORAC versus total phenolic, or anthocyanins.