ARS | Publication request: FREE RADICAL SCAVENGING CAPACITY AND ANTIOXIDANT ENZYME ACTIVITY IN DEERBERRY (Vaccinium stamineum L.)

Submitted to: Food Science and Technology Today
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: February 23, 2006
Publication Date: March 29, 2007
Citation: Wang, S.Y., Ballington, J.R. 2007. Free radical scavenging capacity and antioxidant enzyme activity in deerberry (vaccinium stamineum l.). Food Science and Technology Today. 73:1352-1361.

Interpretive Summary: Deer berry is a low, slender shrub. The fruit of deer berry resemble cranberries, but being a minor crop, deer berries have received little research attention and little information is available on the potential health benefits of consuming deer berry fruit. We have investigated fruit quality and antioxidant content of three deer berry selections. Antioxidants are natural chemical compounds present in plants that have significant beneficial properties for human health. We found that deer berry fruit contain potent antioxidant capacity. Both fruit quality and antioxidant content varied among the different selections and the antioxidant activity was in the range of strawberries, blueberries and blackberries, fruit that are known to be excellent sources of these nutrients. These results indicate that consuming deer berry fruit may be beneficial to human health. Information obtained from this research is valuable for scientists and consumers interested in improving human nutrition and health. Selections possessing high levels of health promoting compounds could be useful in cultivar development in a conventional plant breeding program.

Technical Abstract: Fruit from three genotypes (B-76, B-59 and SHF-3A) of deerberry [Vaccinium stamineum L.] were evaluated for fruit quality, total anthocyanin and phenolic contents, antioxidants, antioxidant capacity, and antioxidant enzyme activity. The fruit soluble solids, titratable acids, total anthocyanins, and total phenolic contents varied with genotypes. Cyanidin 3-galactoside and cyanidin 3-arabinoside were the two predominant anthocyanins. Resveratrol was also found in deerberries. Among the three genotypes, 'B-76' had higher amount of anthocyanins, phenolic compounds and resveratrol than 'B-59' and 'SHF-3A'. Deerberries contained potent free radical scavenging activities for 2, 2-Di (4-tert-octylphenyl) -1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH'), 2,2'-azinobis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) diammonium salt, peroxyl radical, superoxide radicals, hydrogen peroxide, hydroxyl radicals, and singlet oxygen radicals and also had high activities of antioxidant enzymes including glutathione-peroxidase, glutathione reductase, superoxide dismutase, ascorbate peroxidase, guaiacol peroxidase, monodehydroascorbate radical reductase, dehydroascorbate reductase, glutathione reductase] and non-enzyme antioxidants [ascorbic acid and reduced glutathione. Antioxidant capacities were highly correlated to antioxidant enzymes activities. Among the three genotypes, Genotype B-76 had the highest level of antioxidants and antioxidant enzyme activity.