ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY AND PHENOLIC PROFILE OF FRUITS FROM SOME ROMANIAN SHRUB FRUIT VARIETIES

The berries are rich in polyphenols, vitamins, and other bioactive compounds, and exhibit antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and anticancer activities. In this work, antioxidant activity (AA) and a phenolic profile of berries fruits belonging to the Aronia melanocarpa (Michx.) Elliott, ʹMelromʹ cv., Lonicera caerulea var. kamtschatica, ʹKamiʹ cv., and Sambucus nigra L., ʹElromʹ cv. were studied. All three cvs. were previously patented by the Research Institute for Fruit Growing Pitesti, Romania. Alcoholic extracts from berries were obtained by four methods: continuous, maceration, ultrasounds and microwaves-assisted. The antioxidant content of extracts was evaluated by an HPLC method. AA was determined by DPPH free radical scavenging method. Total phenol, flavonoid, and anthocyanin contents were determined by spectrophotometric methods. The AA values were reported as equivalents (µg mL-1 extract) caffeic and gallic acids, morin, quercetin, rutin, and are in concordance with the results of the chromatographic method. In addition, the chromatographic method allowed identifying the p-coumaric acid, caffeic acid, chlorogenic acid, rutin, and epicatechin. The experimental results have shown that analyzed fruit extracts have high antioxidant activity, due mainly to flavonoids and anthocyanins in high concentration. Therefore, extracts from mentioned berries can be used in different nutraceutical products with high antioxidant potential.