ARS | Publication request: Anthocyanin rich black raspberries can be made even better

Submitted to: International Society for Horticultural Science Meeting
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: January 27, 2012
Publication Date: June 17, 2012
Citation: Lee, J., Dossett, M., Finn, C.E. 2012. Anthocyanin rich black raspberries can be made even better. International Society for Horticultural Science Meeting. p.48-49.

Technical Abstract: Our research group has worked the last seven years on improving the phenological, vegetative, and phytochemical traits of U.S. grown black raspberries. We have been awarded USDA/NIFA-Specialty Crops Research Initiative (SCRI) funding to continue our project as a multi-region and international collaboration enhancing black raspberries. Current interest in the rich color of black raspberries, and their historical use as an effective dye, derive from their anthocyanin composition and content. We will report our findings on 860 analyzed samples from two growing seasons. Study plants represented 130 wild populations from 27 U.S. states and two Canadian Provinces; all were collected as wild seedlings and grown in a common environment. Total anthocyanins ranged from 39-996 mg/100mL (expressed as cyanidin-3-glucoside; 25 fold difference), confirming that not all black raspberries are equal in natural pigment production. We have also identified a unique mutant black raspberry that lacks rutinoside-containing anthocyanins. Until the discovery of this mutant, all black raspberry anthocyanins comprised (in elution order): cyanidin-3-sambubioside, cyanidin-3-glucoside, cyanidin-3-xylosylrutinoside, cyanidin-3-rutinoside, pelargonidin-3-glucoside, pelargonidin-3-rutinoside, and peonidin-3-rutinoside. A reassessment of the literature concurrent with our data showed that some reports had misidentified the cyanidin-3-xylosylrutinoside peak. We recently published a review article to rectify many such conflicting issues with black raspberry information. Our presentation will incorporate some of these findings.