Phenolic Content and Antioxidant Capacities of Alabama – Grown Thornless Blackberries

Total phenolics (TPH), flavonoids (TF), monomeric anthocyanins (ACY), and Vitamin C Equivalent Antioxidant Capacities (VCEAC) utilizing ABTS and DPPH radical scavenging assays were determined for five fully ripened blackberries cultivars (‘Loch Ness’, ‘Navaho’, ‘Arapaho’, ‘Apache’, and ‘Triple Crown’) of Rubus spp. grown in Alabama. The ABTS and DPPH methods were highly correlated (R = 0.897) and the ABTS method was better for assessing the overall antioxidant capacity. Cultivar differences were found in TPH, ACY, and VCEAC as determined by the ABTS method (P ≤ 0.05) with ‘Loch Ness’ and ‘Apache’ containing the highest levels. Based on these findings ‘Apache’, ‘Arapaho’, and ‘Navaho’ are three thornless blackberry cultivars that have potential to be used as dietary supplements and for commercial production in Alabama due to high phytonutrient content, antioxidant capacities, and yield.