Antioxidant activities and bioactive components in some berries

Abstract

The objective of this study was to evaluate the antioxidant and binding effects of gooseberry, a less-studied berry, and to compare with blueberry and cranberry in the model of interaction with human serum albumin (HSA). The relationship between the scavenging properties of dietary polyphenols of the selected berries and their affinities for HSA were investigated by fluorescence analysis. In order to perform the extraction and identification of the antioxidants present in the samples, different types of extraction solvents were used, such as water, ethyl acetate, and diethyl ether. The polyphenols, tannins, anthocyanins and ascorbic acid contents, and the total antioxidant capacities (TACs) of the berry extracts were assessed by using ESI-MS, FTIR, and radical scavenging assays. The contents of bioactive compounds and the levels of TACs in water extracts differed significantly and were the highest in water extracts in comparison with other extracts in all the investigated berries (P < 0.05). Gooseberry water extracts contained: polyphenols (mg GAE/g DW)-5.37 ± 0.6, tannins (mg CE/g DW)-0.71 ± 0.2, anthocyanins (mg CGE/g DW)-12.0 ± 1.2, ascorbic acid (mg AA/g DW)-5.15 ± 0.5, and TACs (μMTE/g DW) by ABTS and FRAP assays were 15.53 ± 1.6 and 6.51 ± 0.7, respectively. In conclusion, the bioactivity of gooseberry was lower than blueberries and cranberries. The antioxidant and binding properties of gooseberries in comparison with widely consumed blueberries and cranberries can be used as a new source for food supplementation. © 2013 The Author(s).