Phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity of seven Bulgarian cultivars sweet cherry (Prunus avium L.)

Mariya Georgieva1, Simeon Krumov2, Teodora Ivanova3, Desislava Dimitrova3 and Rositsa Titorenkova1
1 Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Institute of Mineralogy and Crystallography “Acad. Ivan Kostov”, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria
2 Agricultural Academy, Institute of Agriculture-Kyustendil, 2500 Kyustendil, Bulgaria
3 Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria

Abstract

Georgieva, M., Krumov, S., Ivanova, T., Dimitrova, D. & Titorenkova, R. (2023). Phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity of seven Bulgarian cultivars sweet cherry (Prunus avium L.). Bulg. J. Agric. Sci., 29 (3), 446–451

The phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity of cherries from seven Bulgarian cultivars (Kyustendilska Chrustyalka, Cherna Konyavska, Bulgarian Bigarreau, Mizia, Stefania, Dima, and Vasinika), were evaluated in this paper. The presented results are part of studies, aimed at characterizing the qualities of Bulgarian sweet cherry varieties and comparing them with the world-spread industrial varieties. The total polyphenols in sweet cherry fruits examined in this study ranged from 1.08 to 4.11 mg GAE/g. Total flavonoids varied from 0.69 to 1.54 mg QE/g. The amounts of total monomeric anthocyanins were between 0.1 to 2.91 mg CR/g, being the highest for the cultivar Vasinika fruits. The Vasinika extract possessed the strongest antioxidant activity in both tests (FRAP and DPPH). Analysis of the antioxidant activity and polyphenol content of these Bulgarian cherry cultivars was carried out for the first time.

Keywords: anthocyanins; antioxidant activity; sweet cherry; total polyphenols
Abbreviations: ANOVA – analysis of variance; CR – cyanidin 3-rutinoside; DPPH – 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl; FRAP – ferric ion reducing antioxidant power; GAE – gallic acid equivalents; QE – quercetin equivalents; TE – Trolox equivalents; TF – total flavonoids; TMA – total monomeric anthocyanins; TP – total polyphenols; UV-VIS – spectrophotometer, ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometer.

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