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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Corvallis, Oregon » Horticultural Crops Research Unit » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #169802
Title: COMPARISON OF ANTHOCYANIN PIGMENT AND OTHER PHENOLIC COMPOUNDS OF VACCINIUM MEMBRANACEUM AND V. OVATUM NATIVE TO THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST OF NORTH AMERICA

Author
item LEE, J - OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY
item FINN, CHAD
item WROLSTAD, R - OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY

Submitted to: Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/3/2004
Publication Date: 10/15/2004
Citation: Lee, J., Finn, C.E., Wrolstad, R.E. 2004. Comparison of anthocyanin pigment and other phenolic compounds of vaccinium membranaceum and v. ovatum native to the pacific northwest of north america. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. 53(23) p. 959-964.

Interpretive Summary: The evergreen huckleberry (Vaccinium ovatum) and the Cascade black huckleberry (V. membranaceum), native to the Pacific Northwest, are often harvested and sold commercially. Since this group of plants is potentially a valuable nutraceutical crop, there was an interest in evaluating their fruit chemistry more closely. These two species were evaluated for their total and individual anthocyanin and polyphenolic compositions. Vaccinium ovatum had greater total anthocyanin (ACY), total phenolics (TP), oxygen radical absorbing capacity (ORAC) value, and ferric reducing antioxidant potential (FRAP) value than did V. membranaceum. The pH and °Brix were also higher in V. ovatum. Berry extracts from each species were separated into three different fractions: anthocyanin, polyphenolic, and sugar/acid by solid phase extraction. The anthocyanin fractions of each species had the highest amount of ACY, TP, and antioxidant activity. Each species contained 15 anthocyanins (galactoside, glucoside, arabinoside of delphinidin, cyanidin, petunidin, peonidin, and malvidin), but in different proportions. Each species had a different polyphenolic profile.

Technical Abstract: Two huckleberry species, Vaccinium membranaceum and V. ovatum, native to the Pacific Northwest, were evaluated for their total and individual anthocyanin and polyphenolic compositions. Vaccinium ovatum had greater total anthocyanin (ACY), total phenolics (TP), oxygen radical absorbing capacity (ORAC) value, and ferric reducing antioxidant potential (FRAP) value than did V. membranaceum. The pH and °Brix were also higher in V. ovatum. Berry extracts from each species were separated into three different fractions: anthocyanin, polyphenolic, and sugar/acid by solid phase extraction. The anthocyanin fractions of each species had the highest amount of ACY, TP, and antioxidant activity. Each species contained 15 anthocyanins (galactoside, glucoside, arabinoside of delphinidin, cyanidin, petunidin, peonidin, and malvidin), but in different proportions. Their anthocyanin profiles were similar by high-performance liquid chromatography with photodiode array detection (LC-DAD) and high-performance liquid chromatography with photodiode array and mass spectrometry detections (LC-DAD-MS). Each species had a different polyphenolic profile. The polyphenolics of both species were mainly composed of cinnamic acid derivatives and flavonol-glycosides. The major polyphenolic compounds in V. membranaceum and V. ovatum were neochlorogenic acid and chlorogenic acid, respectively.