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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Beltsville, Maryland (BARC) » Beltsville Agricultural Research Center » Food Quality Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #259042

Title: Effect of cultural system and essential oil treatment on antioxidant capacity in raspberries

Author
item JIN, PENG - Nanjing Agricultural University
item Wang, Shiow
item GAO, HAIYAN - Zhejiang Academy Of Agricultural Sciences
item CHEN, HANGJUN - Zhejiang Academy Of Agricultural Sciences
item ZHENG, YONGHUA - Nanjing Agricultural University
item WANG, CHIEN - Retired ARS Employee

Submitted to: Postharvest Biology and Technology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/2/2011
Publication Date: 5/1/2012
Citation: Jin, P., Wang, S.Y., Gao, H., Chen, H., Zheng, Y., Wang, C.Y. 2012. Effect of cultural system and essential oil treatment on antioxidant capacity in raspberries. Postharvest Biology and Technology. 132:399-405.

Interpretive Summary: The demand for organic food products has increased rapidly during recent years. However, research findings comparing the nutritive values of organically produced foods with those of conventionally grown foods have been inconclusive. We set out to evaluate the fruit quality, antioxidant activity, and flavonoid content of organically and conventionally grown raspberries. We found that raspberries produced from organic culture contained significantly higher amounts of many phytonutrients than those produced from conventional culture with or without treatments by several essential oils. Thus, the organically grown raspberries may provide a higher benefit to human health than conventionally grown raspberries. This research contributes to the knowledge on the effect of cultural practices on quality and antioxidant activity in fruits. Information obtained from this study will benefit the consumer and other scientists.

Technical Abstract: The effects of cultural system and essential oil treatment on antioxidant enzyme activities, antioxidant capacities and flavonoid contents in raspberries were evaluated. Raspberries were hand-harvested from organic and conventional farms in Maryland, USA, and were treated with essential oils including carvacrol, anethole, cinnamic acid, perillaldehyde, cinnamaldehyde and linalool. Results from this study showed that raspberries grown from organic culture exhibited higher values of antioxidant capacities and individual flavonoid contents. Moreover, the organic culture also enhanced the activities of antioxidant enzymes including superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), guaiacol peroxidase (G-POD), ascorbate peroxidase (AsA-POD), glutathione reductase (GR), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-POD), monodehydroascorbate reductase (MDAR) and dehydroascorbate reductase (DHAR). All of the essential oil treatments promoted antioxidant enzymes activities and antioxidant capacities of raspberries which were grown from organic or conventional culture. The most effective compound for enhancing antioxidant activities was perillaldehyde, followed by anethole, carvacrol, cinnamaldehyde, cinnamic acid and linalool. In conclusion, raspberries produced from organic culture contained significantly higher antioxidant capacities and flavonoid content than those produced from conventional culture. Postharvest essential oil treatments have positive effects on enhancing antioxidant capacities and flavonoid content in raspberries in both organic and conventional cultures.