Anthocyanin profiles of two subtropical Vaccinium species and ‘O’Neal’ southern highbush blueberry

Authors: ANDERSON, TODD - Oregon State University; DURST, ROBERT - Oregon State University; LEONARD, SCOTT - Oregon State University; HUMMER, KIM - Retired ARS Employee; LUBY, CLAIRE - Montana State University; Bassil, Nahla

Submitted to: Journal of the American Pomological Society
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/19/2023
Publication Date: 7/1/2023
Citation: Anderson, T., Durst, R., Leonard, S., Hummer, K., Luby, C., Bassil, N.V. 2023. Anthocyanin profiles of two subtropical Vaccinium species and ‘O’Neal’ southern highbush blueberry. Journal of the American Pomological Society. 77(3): 176-185.

Interpretive Summary: The US Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agriculture Research Service (ARS), National Clonal Germplasm Repository (NCGR) in Corvallis, Oregon preserves blueberry cultivars and their wild relatives. In this study, we compare fruit quality and anthocyanin content of two wild species of blueberry to that of a cultivar called O'Neal. V. myrtoides (Blume) and V. floribundum (Kunth), to ‘O’Neal’ (V. corymbosum hybrid), a cultivated southern highbush blueberry to ascertain these species potential applications in future breeding efforts. Over the spring and summer of 2021, we assessed fruit size, °Brix, pH, total anthocyanin concentration and profile of anthocyanin aglycons present. Fruit size, estimated sugar content and pH of the wild species were not significantly different from those of ‘O’Neal.’ The total anthocyanin levels for the plants representing the two studied wild species were significantly higher than for ‘O’Neal’. Anthocyanin profiles were unique to each species. One of the anthocyanin compounds, del-3-arabinoside, was present in both wild species representatives yet absent in ‘O’Neal’, suggesting that these profiles can provide information for the potential contribution of these species to anthocyanins in human diets.

Technical Abstract: Vaccinium L., a globally distributed genus, encompasses economically and nutritionally valuable species such as blueberry (V. corymbosum L. and its hybrids), cranberry (V. macrocarpon A.), bilberry (V. myrtillus L.), and lingonberry (V. vitis-idea L.). The harvest of wild Vaccinium fruit has long contributed to the nutrition of local communities throughout Southeast Asia and the Americas. Our objective was to compare fruit qualities and anthocyanin profiles of two species, V. myrtoides (Blume) and V. floribundum (Kunth), to ‘O’Neal’ (V. corymbosum hybrid), a cultivated southern highbush blueberry to ascertain these species potential applications in future breeding efforts. Over the spring and summer of 2021, we assessed fruit size, °Brix, pH, total anthocyanin concentration and profile of anthocyanin aglycons present. The fruit was sourced from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), National Clonal Germplasm Repository (NCGR) in Corvallis, Oregon. To compare fruit size, °Brix, and pH, we obtained ten replications of five berries each for V. myrtoides, V. floribundum, and ‘O’Neal.’ Fifteen grams of fruit for each accession were collected and divided into three replications to characterize the anthocyanin compound total concentration in mg per 100 grams of sample, and anthocyanin profiles of these species. Fruit size, °Brix, and pH of the wild species were not significantly different from those of ‘O’Neal.’ The total anthocyanin levels for V. floribundum (87.4 mg anthocyanin/100 g frozen fruit) and V. myrtoides (80.4 mg/100 g frozen fruit) were significantly higher than for ‘O’Neal’ (32 mg/100 g frozen fruit). Anthocyanin profiles were unique to each species. V. myrtoides had the most complex profile with eight identified anthocyanin peaks; V. floribundum had four, and ‘O’Neal’ three. One of the most prominent anthocyanins in blueberries, petunidin-3- galactoside, occurred in ‘O’Neal and V. myrtoides but was absent from V. floribundum. Del-3-arabinoside was present in both V. myrtoides and V. floribundum yet absent in ‘O’Neal’, suggesting that these profiles can provide information for the potential contribution of these species to anthocyanins in human diets.