Author(s)

Josiane K. Rutz, Glenise B. Voss, Rui Carlos Zambiazi

Departament of Chemical Engineering and Food Engineering, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Brazil.
Department of Agroindustrial Science and Technology, Federal University of Pelotas, Pelotas, Brazil.

Fruit consumption is primarily due to the increasing awareness of consumers on the health benefits of a healthy diet. Thus some small fruits stand out because they have bioactive compounds that may have health benefits. Among these fruits is the blackberry, which contains different levels of bioactive compounds depending on the maturation stage. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the phytochemical and physicochemical compositions of blackberries (cv. Tupy) at three maturation stages. It was observed that during maturation, there was a decrease in acidity, carotenoids and tocopherols and an increase in the total soluble solids, pH, anthocyanins, antioxidant activity and total amount of phenolic compounds. Epicatequin was the major phenolic compound found in blackberries.

Blackberry; Phytochemicals; Maturation Degree; Antioxidant Activity; Anthocyanins; Phenolic Compounds

J. Rutz, G. Voss and R. Zambiazi, "Influence of the Degree of Maturation on the Bioactive Compounds in Blackberry (Rubus spp.) cv. Tupy," Food and Nutrition Sciences, Vol. 3 No. 10, 2012, pp. 1453-1460. doi: 10.4236/fns.2012.310189.