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Title: VARIABILITY OF ANTIOXIDANT CONTENT IN RASPBERRY GERMPLASM

Author
item WEBER, COURTNEY - CORNELL UNIVERSITY
item Perkins Veazie, Penelope
item MOORE, PATRICK - WASHINGTON STATE UNIV.
item HOWARD, LUKE - UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS

Submitted to: Acta Horticulturae
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/31/2007
Publication Date: 6/15/2008
Citation: Weber, C.A., Perkins Veazie, P.M., Moore, P., Howard, L. 2008. Variability of antioxidant content in raspberry germplasm. Acta Horticulturae. 777:493-498.

Interpretive Summary: Raspberries, especially black raspberries, have plant based substances (phytochemicals) that have been found to be important in prevention of certain types of cancers. Yellow, red, purple, and black raspberries are available but the differences in phytochemicals among varieties are unknown. Raspberry fruit from 64 selections were harvested from Washington and New York over two seasons, and phytochemical content measured. Generally, black or purple raspberries were highest, while yellow and red raspberries were often similar in phytochemicals. There were large differences in relative amounts of phytochemicals among raspberry varieties within a color type, indicating a wide selection of genetic material for potential development of foods designed for specific health uses.

Technical Abstract: Raspberry (Rubus ideaus) fruit have been found to be an effective anti-cancer food. There is much interest in quantifying total antioxidants, as well as specific compounds, for eventual use in fruit breeding for human health. Raspberry fruit of 64 selections were harvested for two seasons from Washington and New York locations. Fruit were analyzed for composition and antioxidants. Total anthocyanins ranged from 0 to 400 mg/kg in yellow to black raspberries, respectively. Total phenolic content ranged from 300 to 700 mg/100 g, and FRAP values from 17 to 50 umol trolox equiv/g. Total phenolic and FRAP values were highest in black raspberries but yellow fruit were as high as many of the red raspberries. Fruit composition and berry size also showed large variation among selections. This study shows that raspberry gerplasm has a wide range of antioxidant values for use in breeding programs targeted towards functional food development.