Antioxidant capacities and anthocyanin characteristics of the black-red wild berries obtained in Northeast China.

Abstract Various edible berries widely accessible in nature in Northeast China are poorly exploited. The compositions and contents of anthocyanins in black ( Padus maackii , Padus avium , Lonicera caerulea , and Ribes nigrum ) and red ( Ribes rubrum , Sambucus williamsii , Rubus idaeus , and Ribes procumbens ) wild berries in Northeast China were firstly characterized by HPLC–DAD/ESI-MS 2 . Twenty-three anthocyanins were detected and identified. Cyanidin glycosides were dominant in both berries. Six anthocyanins were reported for the first time in P . avium , R . rubrum , and Sambucus . Total anthocyanin content (TAC) ranged from 10 mg/100 g fresh weight (FW) ( R . procumbens ) to 1058 mg/100 g FW ( P . maackii ) among berries. The TACs and antioxidant activities assessed by DPPH and FRAP assays were much higher in black than in red berries. Black–red berries, especially P . maackii and P . avium , can be used in developing functional foods and in improving breeding programs.