Some phytochemical and antioxidant characteristics of wild and cultivated blackberry (Rubus caucasicus) fruits

Fruit weight, soluble solid content (%), vitamin C, titratable acidity, total phenolic content, total anthocyanin and total antioxidant capacity of wild and cultivated blackberry (Rubus cauctisicus) fruits were determined. Determination of antioxidant activities by beta-carotene-linoleic acid, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assays resulted in average 85.17%, 34.90 mu mol/g fw DPPH and 50.70 mu mol TE/g fw FRAP, respectively. In general, wild materials exhibited higher antioxidant activity in all three methods used. The average total phenolic contents of wild genotypes were 381 mg gallic acid equivalent in 100 g fresh weight basis (GAE/g fw) indicating higher value than cv. Chester (310 mg GAE/100 g fw). The genotype ART4 had the richest amount of anthocyanin with an average of 168 mg cy-3-glu/g fw. beta-carotene-linoleic acid, FRAP, total phenolic and total anthocyanins were significantly correlated with each other. The present results suggest that blackberry fruits, in particular, wild ones, are very rich in antioxidants and indicate their importance for human healthy.