Quantification of Quality Attributes, Functional Compounds and Antioxidant Capacity of Blackberry and Blackberry Wine

Abstract

This study examined selected quality and chemical properties of extracts and value-added products made from two blackberry cultivars, 'Apache' and 'Ouachita', that are commonly grown in the Midwest region of the United States. The effect of growing year was also investigated. General qualitative tests, total phenolic content (TP), total monomeric anthocyanin content (TMA), and oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) assays were conducted on blackberry extract, juice and wine samples. Between the two years, whole-berry extract from 2009 had higher concentrations of phenolic compounds, anthocyanins and higher antioxidant capacity than samples from 2008. Between the two cultivars, products from 'Apache' berries had higher concentrations of phenolic compounds, anthocyanins and higher antioxidant capacity than products from 'Ouachita' berries. The TP, TMA, and ORAC in blackberry extract showed strong interactions between year × location, and cultivar × location. This work provided the first multiyear evaluation of TP, TMA, and ORAC of two important blackberry cultivars grown in Midwest region of the Unites States.