Abstract
The number of consumers seeking safe and health-beneficial foods is systematically increasing. Consumers demand more environmentally friendly and safe food options coming from organic farming. Blackcurrants fruits are a perfect source of biological active compounds, such as vitamin C, polyphenols and flavonoids as well anthocyanins. Organic agricultural practices have modified the level of bioactive compounds in blackcurrant fruits. The novelty and the aim of the presented study was to compare the concentrations of selected health-promoting antioxidants in fruits of three blackcurrants (‘Ben Adler’, ‘Tiben’ and ‘Titania’) grown in organic and conventional orchards in Poland. For bioactive compound determination, the high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method was used. The obtained results showed that organic blackcurrant fruits contained significantly more vitamin C (9.4 mg/100 g f.w.), total polyphenols (189.2 mg/100 g f.w.), total phenolic acids (10.3 mg/100 g f.w.), and total flavonoids (178.8 mg/100 g f.w.), as well anthocyanins (167.9 mg/100 g f.w.), compared to conventional ones. The selected cultivars and the years of cultivation system affect the concentration of the measured polyphenols, with strong interactions between these factors. The experiment confirms the hypothesis that organic blackcurrants should be a very important part of well-balanced, healthy diet.
Highlights
Selected plant products can be treated as a source of nutraceuticals—substances that have a health-promoting effect on the human body, including those that reduce the risk of numerous diseases [1]
Variations in dry matter content are observed for the cultivation years 2014 (20.62 g/100 g f.w.) and 2015 (19.76 g/100 g f.w.) in which markable differences are found in the case of cultivar vs. agronomic system
Our study shows a relationship between the cultivation system and currant cultivars, as well as the content of dry matter, vitamin C, and polyphenols, including anthocyanins
Summary
Selected plant products can be treated as a source of nutraceuticals—substances that have a health-promoting effect on the human body, including those that reduce the risk of numerous diseases [1]. We observe a significant increase in the incidence of diet-related diseases and diseases occurring as a result of stress on the human body, which in turn causes an increase in consumer interest in products that are naturally rich in ingredients with pro-health potential and antioxidant properties. Ribes nigrum L. is distinguished by its high antioxidant activity, stemming from its high content of biologically active compounds, such as polyphenols, which include, among others, phenolic acids, flavonoids and anthocyanins and vitamins—mainly vitamin C [3]. It should be noted that the amount of polyphenolic compounds, including anthocyanins, and antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and health-promoting properties, are similar to the data obtained from chokeberry fruit. The content of biologically active compounds and minerals in blackcurrant depends primarily on genetic factors and variety, as well as modifications caused by environmental factors, such as ambient temperature, light, humidity and cultivation method [9,10]
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