ISSN print edition: 0366-6352 ISSN electronic edition: 1336-9075 Registr. No.: MK SR 9/7 Published monthly

Carotenoid and fatty acid profiles of bilberries and cultivated blueberries from Romania

Andrea Bunea, Dumitriţa Rugină, Adela Pintea, Sanda Andrei, Claudiu Bunea, and Raluca Pop and Constantin Bele

Department of Biochemistry, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, Mănăştur 3-5, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Romania

E-mail: andrea_bunea@yahoo.com

Abstract: The worldwide consumption of blueberries has increased due to their potential health effects. They contain micronutrients, various phytochemicals and anti-oxidant pigments, represented especially by anthocyanins. In addition to these, carotenoids and fatty acids are also present. The aim of this study was the identification and quantification of carotenoids (by HPLC) and fatty acids (by GC with flame ionisation detection) in two bilberry genotypes (Wild 1 and 2) and three cultivars (BlueCrop, Elliot, and Duke). The main carotenoids identified were lutein, β-cryptoxanthin, and β-carotene, with the average total carotenoid content of 266 μg per 100 g of fruit. The ratio of saturated fatty acids (SFAs) to polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) was 0.098 for Wild 1 and 0.11 for Wild 2 genotypes and ranged from 0.14 to 0.28 for cultivars. The main fatty acids identified were linoleic (18:2) and linolenic (18:3) acids in all the samples analysed. In Vaccinium myrtillus the amount of carotenoids and fatty acids was higher than in Vaccinium corymbosum species.

Keywords: blueberries – bilberries – HPLC – GC-FID – fatty acids – carotenoids

Full paper is available at www.springerlink.com.

DOI: 10.2478/s11696-012-0162-2

Chemical Papers 66 (10) 935–939 (2012)