Chemical composition, biological potentials and antimicrobial activity of wild and cultivated blackberries

Abstract

The aim of this study was to compare the chemical compositions and biological potentials (antioxidant potentials, ?-glucosidase test and antimicrobial activity) of wild and cultivated blackberry varieties from two different locations. The chemical compositions were evaluated in fresh samples, while the biological potentials were measured in dry blackberry extracts. The highest dry matter (15.73 g/100 g fw) was obtained for wild blackberry from Verici (Bw2). The significantly higher content of sugars (6.07 g/100 g fw) and ascorbic acid (21.36 g/100 g dw) was found in Chester Thornless blackberry (Bc1) comparing to other samples. The wild blackberry from Javorani (Bw1) showed the highest amount of polyphenols, as well as antioxidant potentials on DPPH (184.26 mmol Trolox/kg dw), ABTS (340.26 mmol Trolox/kg dw) and OH (944.03 mmol BHT/kg dw) radicals. The antihyperglycemic potentials of the extracts were determined by the ?-glucosidase test. The cultivated blackberry Cacanka Bestrna (Bc2) showed the stronger inhibition of ?-glucosidase enzyme (?-GIP = 50.69 %) than other varieties (p<0.05). Wild blackberry extracts showed higher antibacterial and antifungal activity towards Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Aspergillus niger. The results presented in this study indicated the differences between wild and cultivated blackberry varieties, as well as mutual differences in chemical composition, polyphenol contents, biological potentials, along with the antimicrobial activity of wild and cultivated blackberry varieties from two different locations in Bosnia and Herzegovina.