Identification of procyanidins and anthocyanins in blueberries and cranberries (Vaccinium spp.) using high-performance liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry

R L Prior, S A Lazarus, G Cao, H Muccitelli, J F Hammerstone
J Agric Food Chem . 2001 Mar;49(3):1270-6.

Blueberries and cranberries were analyzed for procyanidins using normal-phase HPLC/MS. Monomers, identified as (+)-catechin and (-)-epicatechin, and a series of oligomers were detected in blueberries, and MS data confirmed that the oligomers consisted of (epi)catechin units that were exclusively singly linked (B-type). The procyanidin “fingerprints” were similar for Tifblue and Rubel but higher than that for lowbush blueberries. In whole cranberries, (-)-epicatechin was present, along with a complex series of oligomers. Both A-type (contained only one double linkage per oligomer) and B-type oligomers were present. Two commercial cranberry juices exhibited similar procyanidin profiles, except that one contained increased quantities. There were processing effects on the procyanidin content of cranberry extract and juices when compared to those of the unprocessed fruits. Monomer, dimers, and A-type trimers were the primary procyanidins, with only trace levels of the B-type trimers and A-type tetramers and with an absence of the higher oligomers in cranberry extract and juices.

Latest Composition


Comparative Phytochemical Profiles and Antioxidant Enzyme Activity Analyses of the Southern Highbush Blueberry ( Vaccinium corymbosum) at Different Developmental Stages

Yueting Sun, Min Li, Sangeeta Mitra, Rizwan Hafiz Muhammad, Biswojit Debnath, Xiaocao Lu, Hongxiang Jian, Dongliang Qiu
Molecules. 2018 Aug 31;23(9):2209. doi: 10.3390/molecules23092209.
Read More

Improved Preventive Effects of Combined Bioactive Compounds Present in Different Blueberry Varieties as Compared to Single Phytochemicals

Simone G J van Breda, Jacob J Briedé, Theo M C M de Kok
Nutrients . 2018 Dec 29;11(1):61. doi: 10.3390/nu11010061.
Read More