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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Poplarville, Mississippi » Southern Horticultural Research Unit » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #89454
Title: COMPARATIVE ORGANIC ACID PROFILES OF HIGHBUSH, SOUTHERN HIGHBUSH AND RABBITEYE BLUEBERRIES

Author
item Magee, James
item Gupton, Creighton

Submitted to: HortScience
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/15/1998
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The organic acid composition of blueberries of three highbush (Vaccinium corymbosum) cultivars, three rabbiteye (V. ashei) cultivars and nine southern highbush (V. corymbosum hybrids) cultivars or selections was determined by HPLC. Species means off the individual acids (citric, malic, succinic and quinic), expressed as a percentage of total acid, formed profiles or patterns which are thought to be characteristic of the species Citric (75%) was the predominate acid in highbush fruit with lesser percentages of succinic (13%), quinic (9.6%) and malic (2.7%). The percentage composition of rabbiteye berries [quinic (49%), succinic (39%), citric (6.7%), malic (5%)] was distinctly different from highbush. The acid profile of southern highbush fruit reflected their V. corymbosum heritage with an acid profile similar to that of highbush. When related to a clone's pedigree, these results suggest that organic acid profiles may be euseful screening tool for studying the contribution of southeastern native species such as V. darrowi or V. ashei to the inheritance of organic acids.