Rubus Fruits Research Articles

Antiviral and Antibacterial Effect of Honey Enriched with Rubus spp. as a Functional Food with Enhanced Antioxidant Properties.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of blackberry and raspberry fruits (1 and 4%) and leaves (0.5 and 1%) on the biological activities of rape honey. Honey and plant material extracts were analyzed regarding total phenolic, flavonoid, anthocyanin contents, HPTLC and HPLC polyphenol profiles, as well as antioxidant activity. The antiviral potential was analyzed against bacteriophage phi 6—a coronavirus surrogate—whereas antimicrobial was tested against S. aureus and E. coli. Blackberry extracts were more abundant in antioxidants than raspberry extracts, with better properties found for leaves than fruits and for cultivated rather than commercial plants. The addition of both Rubus plant additives significantly increased the antioxidant potential of honey by four-fold (for 4% fruits additive) to five-fold (for 1% of leaves). Honey with the addition of fruits possessed higher antiviral potential compared with raw rape honey (the highest for 4% of raspberry fruit and 1% of blackberry leaf additive). Honey enriched with Rubus materials showed higher antibacterial potential against S. aureus than rape honey and effectively inhibited S. aureus biofilm formation. To summarize, honey enriched with Rubus fruit or leaves are characterized by increased pro-health value and can be recommended as a novel functional food.

Variation in Bioactive Compounds and Antioxidant Activity of Rubus Fruits at Different Developmental Stages.

Blackberry and raspberry have high nutritional, health value, and are popular with consumers for their unique flavors. To explore the relationships between nutrient accumulation, antioxidant substance contents in blackberry and raspberry fruits, and fruit growth and development, seven Rubus cultivars were selected, and contents of the main active substance were determined. “Clode Summit” had the highest soluble sugar and fructose contents, “Chester”—the highest total phenol content, and “Bristol’—the highest anthocyanin content. Generally, the contents of flavonoids and total phenols showed a downward trend with the development of fruit in seven Rubus cultivars, and the content of anthocyanins increased rapidly in the later stage of development. Pearson correlation analysis showed extremely significant correlation between antioxidant activity and the contents of vitamin E, total phenols, and flavonoids. Flavonoids were extremely significantly positively correlated with the content of total phenols, and the contents of flavonoids and anthocyanins in various cultivars were highly negatively correlated. Considering the different nutritional ingredients and active antioxidant substance contents, “Clode Summit”, “Bristol”, and “Chester” are recommended for raw consumption, processing, and medicinal purposes, respectively. These results provide a reference for comparing the main active substance contents in different Rubus cultivars and their changes across fruit development stages.

The color difference of rubus fruits is closely related to the composition of flavonoids including anthocyanins

Blackberry and raspberry flavonoid compounds, including anthocyanins, are known for their nutritional and health benefits. Five representative Rubus fruits (blackberry, red raspberry, yellow raspberry, black raspberry, Rubus hybrid ‘Young’ fruit) were examined. The yellow raspberry ‘Colde Summit’ had the brightest color. The Rubus hybrid ‘Young’ had the highest brix and ‘Colde Summit’ the lowest solidity-acid ratio. In total, 2118 and 1089 known metabolites were identified from five representative Rubus fruits by LC-MS in positive and negative ion modes. Isoquinoline alkaloid biosynthesis was the most enriched pathway in the biosynthesis of other secondary metabolites, followed by flavonoid and anthocyanin biosynthesis. Fewer pathways differed between red raspberry and yellow raspberry than among other Rubus fruits. Significant differences among groups occurred in cyanidin-3-sambubioside content in the anthocyanin pathway, which may be predominantly responsible for color differences. This study provides a theoretical basis for the comprehensive utilization and quality improvement of Rubus.

Evaluation of the Food and Nutrition Value of Rubus alceifolius Poir. Fruits of Mizoram, India

Background: Lesser known fruits and vegetables could be the source of dietary antioxidants and nutrition. However, to establish that these fruits and vegetables are important in healthy diet, it is imperative that thorough scientific investigations are performed. Results and data from such studies can also help in framing their conservation policy as well as in their promotion. Objectives: The present study reports for the first time the physicochemical properties, functional and antioxidant activities of the wild berry fruit Rubus alceifolius Poir collected from Mizoram, India. Methods: The average size, pH, juice content, the fruit acid content and dry matter content were determined. The antioxidant components of the fruit extract such as anthocyanin, β-carotene, lycopene, total phenolic and flavonoid contents were also reported. Results: The SPF number of the fruit calculated from Mansur’s equation was found to be 1.59 ± 0.03. HPLC analysis of the fruit extract for phenolic acids showed the presence of ellagic acid and gallic acid in the acetone-extract. Conclusion: Results from studies on various antioxidant activities such as DPPH scavenging, reducing capability and inhibition of lipid peroxidation indicate that the R. alceifolius fruit possesses antioxidant activities and its consumption may help in reducing the oxidative stress and preventing the various degenerative diseases associated with it.

Biotechnological approaches to the reproduction of remontant forms of red raspberry

Rubus idaeus L. is one of the oldest and most widespread berry crops, which is cultivated for the excellent taste as well as for medical and dietary properties of berries. Rubus fruits contain a significant amount of vitamins A and C, anthocyanins, polyphenolic substances, which determines their high antioxidant activity. Remontant red raspberry forms are able to berry on annual shoots in the second half of summer, which extends the term of consumption of fresh berries by 1.5-2 months. However, many forms of remontant raspberry have a low potential for vegetative propagation compared to summer varieties, which makes them difficult to reproduce and to use in the breeding process. We investigated the possibility of increasing the efficiency of in vitro micropropagation of a remontant raspberry variety ʻBiryulevskaya’. The effects of 6-benzylaminopurine (6-BAP) at concentrations of 0.5–3 mg l-1 and thidiazuron (TDZ) at concentrations of 0.05–0.2 mg l-1 as well as doubled and tripled iron chelate Fe-EDTA (Ferric ethylenediamine-tetraacetic acid) doses were studied. We found the adding 1.0 mg l-1 6-BAP to the MS medium containing a triple dose of iron chelate, provided intensive proliferation of high quality adventitious shoots.

RNA-Seq analysis and transcriptome assembly of raspberry fruit (Rubus idaeus ¨Heritage¨) revealed several candidate genes involved in fruit development and ripening

Using Illumina HiSeq ™ 2000 sequencing platform (100 bp double-end reads), we performed transcriptome analysis of flower (F), green (G) and pink (P) fruit stages of red raspberry. Transcriptome was obtained by the de-novo assembly of 298 Million high-quality reads through Trinity assembler, out of the 41,650 high quality transcripts, 18,171 coding sequences were successfully characterized using databases such as UniProtKB, NCBI Non-Redundant, KEGG, Gene Ontology, and InterPro-Scan. A total of 2409 transcripts were further identified as differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between the three libraries generated, and 253 DEGs were found between different fruit stages. Singular enrichment analysis of gene ontology (GO) detected an important group of DEGs over-expressed during fruit development; and associated with ethylene, auxin conjugation, abscisic acid response, brassinosteroids biosynthesis and signaling, and cell-wall disassembly processes. Our transcriptome data provides valuable insights on genes involved in the ripening process of Rubus fruit, as a representative of non-model fruit species, and may help in developing these cultivars with improved fruit quality characteristics in the years to come.

Phenolics, tannins, flavonoids and anthocyanins contents influenced antioxidant and anticancer activities of Rubus fruits from Western Ghats, India

Rubus fruits are rich in nutrition with a wide range of phytochemical and consumed by humans, but many of its wild varieties are not commercially useful. Phytochemical exploration of these wild fruits could improve the commercial usage of these Rubus species.This study focuses to analyze the phytochemical, antioxidant and cytotoxicity of three wild Rubus ellipticus, R. niveus and R. fairholmianus fruits comparatively, which has not revealed. The in vitro antioxidant studies indicated the ethyl acetate and methanol extracts of studied Rubus species competent in scavenging different stable and generated radical. The correlation and regression analysis also statistically supported the contents in the extracts could act against various radicals. Correlation between phytochemical constituent and radical scavenging activity found to be highly positive. The results acquired from this investigation revealed that they are equally competent and could be recommended as dietary supplements or as nutraceuticals.

The genome of black raspberry (Rubus occidentalis).

Black raspberry (Rubus occidentalis) is an important specialty fruit crop in the US Pacific Northwest that can hybridize with the globally commercialized red raspberry (R.idaeus). Here we report a 243Mb draft genome of black raspberry that will serve as a useful reference for the Rosaceae and Rubus fruit crops (raspberry, blackberry, and their hybrids). The black raspberry genome is largely collinear to the diploid woodland strawberry (Fragaria vesca) with a conserved karyotype and few notable structural rearrangements. Centromeric satellite repeats are widely dispersed across the black raspberry genome, in contrast to the tight association with the centromere observed in most plants. Among the 28005 predicted protein-coding genes, we identified 290 very recent small-scale gene duplicates enriched for sugar metabolism, fruit development, and anthocyanin related genes which may be related to key agronomic traits during black raspberry domestication. This contrasts patterns of recent duplications in the wild woodland strawberry F.vesca, which show no patterns of enrichment, suggesting gene duplications contributed to domestication traits. Expression profiles from a fruit ripening series and roots exposed to Verticillium dahliae shed insight into fruit development and disease response, respectively. The resources presented here will expedite the development of improved black and red raspberry, blackberry and other Rubus cultivars.

Anthocyanins in Rubus fruits and antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities in RAW 264.7 cells

Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of ethanol extracts (E) and anthocyanin fractions (AF) from the 3 Rubus fruits blackberries, Korean raspberries, and black raspberries (BR) produced in Korea were determined. BR contained the highest levels of total polyphenols, flavonoids, anthocyanins, and the highest antioxidant activity. E and AF protected RAW 264.7 cells against H2O2-induced cytotoxicity. AF at 20 µg/mL significantly (p<0.05) decreased intracellular ROS levels (39.1-43.5%) and increased SOD (7.1-35.9%) and GPx (7.5-48.6%) activities in H2O2-treated RAW 264.7 cells, compared with controls. AF also increased Nrf2 protein expression. All AF significantly (p<0.05) reduced H2O2-induced DNA oxidation, compared with controls. AF suppressed NO (32.4-42.9%) and PGE2 (17.4-49.0%) production in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells along with a decrease in LPS-induced iNOS and COX-2 protein expressions. AF significantly (p<0.05) down-regulated NF-κB expression, compared with controls, via inhibition of I-κBα degradation in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells.

Anti-Inflammatory Activities of R ubus Fruit Anthocyanins in Inflamed Human Intestinal Epithelial Cells

The purpose of this study was to investigate anti-inflammatory activities of anthocyanin fractions (AF) from blackberries (BB), Korean raspberries (KR) and black raspberries (BR) and their major anthocyanins (cyanidin-3-glucoside [C3G] and cyanidin-3-rutinoside [C3R]) in inflamed intestinal epithelial Caco-2 cells. Nitrite scavenging activity of C3G was significantly higher than that of C3R and the AF measured by a chemical method. All the AF and individual anthocyanins significantly inhibit nitric oxide (NO) secretion, inducible NO synthase expression and nuclear factor-κB activation in the Caco-2 cells exposed to conditioned medium (CM) from lipopolysaccharide-stimulated RAW264.7 cells. In the CM-stimulated Caco-2 cells, C3G, BBAF and KRAF inhibited NO production significantly more than C3R and BRAF, and C3G and BBAF expressed nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 significantly more than the control. The individual anthocyanins also significantly downregulated intercellular adhesion molecule 1 in Caco-2 cell lines. The results suggest that anthocyanins in Rubus fruits, particularly C3G, may promote anti-inflammation in intestinal epithelial cells. Practical Applications Rubus fruits are widely consumed in various ways including wine and raw fruits. These Rubus fruits have various physiological properties such as antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities because of their substantial quantities of phenolic compounds, constituted mainly by anthocyanins. Our results show that Rubus fruits may have potential health benefit in inflamed intestinal epithelial cells, which may be attributed to their major anthocyanins.

Antioxidant and antiinflammatory activities of cyanidin-3-glucoside and cyanidin-3-rutinoside in hydrogen peroxide and lipopolysaccharide-treated RAW264.7 cells

Cyanidin-3-glucoside (C3G) and cyanidin-3-rutinoside (C3R) are 2 major anthocyanins found in Korean Rubus fruits (blackberries, raspberries, and black raspberries). The antioxidant and antiinflammatory effects of C3G and C3R in RAW264.7 murine macrophage cells were determined. Anthocyanins (5, 10, and 20 μg/mL) significantly (p<0.05) reduced H2O2-induced cytotoxicity in H2O2-stimulated RAW264.7 cells, compared with control cells. Incubation with C3G or C3R significantly (p<0.05) decreased intracellular reactive oxygen species and DNA damage (Hoechst and comet assay), and the cellular ferric reducing antioxidant power also increased, compared with control cells. Nitric oxide production in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells treated with C3G and C3R was reduced by 41.9 and 34.4%, respectively. In addition, LPS-induced prostaglandin E2 production was significantly (p<0.05) inhibited by C3G (51.7%) and C3R (58.6%), compared with LPS-stimulated control cells. Protein expressions of iNOS and COX-2 decreased in cells treated with anthocyanins. Anthocyanins down-regulated NF-κB expression and up-regulated I-κB expression in LPS-treated macrophages.

RNA-seq analysis of Rubus idaeus cv. Nova: transcriptome sequencing and de novo assembly for subsequent functional genomics approaches.

Using Illumina sequencing technology, we have generated the large-scale transcriptome sequencing data containing abundant information on genes involved in the metabolic pathways in R. idaeus cv. Nova fruits. Rubus idaeus (Red raspberry) is one of the important economical crops that possess numerous nutrients, micronutrients and phytochemicals with essential health benefits to human. The molecular mechanism underlying the ripening process and phytochemical biosynthesis in red raspberry is attributed to the changes in gene expression, but very limited transcriptomic and genomic information in public databases is available. To address this issue, we generated more than 51 million sequencing reads from R. idaeus cv. Nova fruit using Illumina RNA-Seq technology. After de novo assembly, we obtained 42,604 unigenes with an average length of 812 bp. At the protein level, Nova fruit transcriptome showed 77 and 68 % sequence similarities with Rubus coreanus and Fragaria versa, respectively, indicating the evolutionary relationship between them. In addition, 69 % of assembled unigenes were annotated using public databases including NCBI non-redundant, Cluster of Orthologous Groups and Gene ontology database, suggesting that our transcriptome dataset provides a valuable resource for investigating metabolic processes in red raspberry. To analyze the relationship between several novel transcripts and the amounts of metabolites such as γ-aminobutyric acid and anthocyanins, real-time PCR and target metabolite analysis were performed on two different ripening stages of Nova. This is the first attempt using Illumina sequencing platform for RNA sequencing and de novo assembly of Nova fruit without reference genome. Our data provide the most comprehensive transcriptome resource available for Rubus fruits, and will be useful for understanding the ripening process and for breeding R. idaeus cultivars with improved fruit quality.

Antioxidant properties of Rubus fruit anthocyanins in hydrogen peroxide‐treated RAW264.7 cells (830.28)

Antioxidant properties of ethanol extracts (EE) of Rubus fruits (Blackberry; BB, Korean raspberry; KR, and black raspberry; BR) and their anthocyanin fractions (AF) were examined employing H2O2‐stimulated RAW264.7 macrophage cells. H2O2‐induced reductions of cell viabilities were significantly prevented by all the tested AF (20 µg/mL) and BBE (200 µg/mL). When cells were treated with EE (100 µg/mL) and AF (10 µg/mL) from KR and BR for 4 h, activities of superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase significantly increased. Protein expressions of nuclear factor‐erythroid 2p45‐related factor 2 were increased in the cells pre‐treated with all the tested AF (20 µg/mL). Significant dose‐dependent reductions of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) were observed in all the AF (5‐20 µg/mL) treated cells. In addition, all the AF treated cells showed a significant increase in cellular ferric reducing antioxidant power. Moreover, H2O2‐induced DNA fragmentation and oxidation were markedly reduced as measured by Hoechst staining and comet assay. Rubus fruit anthocyanins may have cellular protective effect by up‐regulating antioxidant enzymes and preventing DNA oxidation.

국내산 나무딸기류 과일의 항산화 및 암세포 항증식 활성

This study was conducted to determine the polyphenols, flavonoids and antioxidant activity (FRAP) of the extracts (crushed by hand or a homogenizer) of Rubus fruits (blackberry, Korean raspberry, black raspberry, boysenberry and golden raspberry) produced in Korea. In addition, their nitric oxide (NO) scavenging activity in RAW 264.7 cells and anti-proliferative activity in HT-29 and KATO-3 cells were investigated. Polyphenol and flavonoid contents in the Rubus fruits ranged from 0.6 to 8.9 and from 0.1 to 7.9 mg/g fresh fruit, respectively. Black raspberry had the highest polyphenol and flavonoid contents among the Rubus fruits. The homogenized extracts of blackberry, Korean raspberry and golden raspberry fruits showed significantly higher polyphenol and FRAP values than the hand-crushed extracts. FRAP values of the Rubus fruit extracts were significantly correlated with their polyphenol (R

INFLUENCE OF GENOTYPE, LOCATION AND YEAR FACTORS ON QUALITY AND HEALTH PROMOTING COMPOUNDS OF RUBUS FRUITS

ISHS XXVIII International Horticultural Congress on Science and Horticulture for People (IHC2010): International Symposium on Berries: From Genomics to Sustainable Production, Quality and Health INFLUENCE OF GENOTYPE, LOCATION AND YEAR FACTORS ON QUALITY AND HEALTH PROMOTING COMPOUNDS OF RUBUS FRUITS

POLYPHENOL CONTENT AND EVALUATION OF ANTICHEMOTACTIC, ANTIEDEMATOGENIC AND ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITIES OF RUBUS SP. CULTIVARS

The purpose of this study was to compare the composition, antioxidant, antichemotactic and antiedematogenic properties of total extracts and anthocyanin-containing Rubus sp. extracts from selected cultivars. Rubus cultivars containing similar profile of anthocyanins, but greater levels of polyphenolics compounds increased antioxidant activity, and significantly enhanced antichemotactic and antiedematogenic properties. Cyanidin-3-glucoside isolated caused little or no anti-inflammatory effects in vitro/in vivo at same concentrations. These data suggest that polyphenols in Rubus extract act synergistically or additively in producing anti-inflammatory/antioxidant effects. These finding also provide essential information for the development of fruit-derived Rubus sp. as potential botanical drug products. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS Polyphenolic compounds are abundant in Rubus fruits, especially anthocyanins, and they are attracting more attention for their biological properties and health benefits. Investigation on the composition and beneficial actions of Rubus polyphenols is necessary to establish a database for the potential use in health foods and botanical drug. In this study, three assays were employed to achieve a comprehensive evaluation on the antioxidant, antichemotactic and antiedematogenic capacity of the nine Rubus sp. cultivars. The anti-inflammatory/antioxidant property of the Rubus sp. cultivars made them desirable for dietary prevention of chronic diseases.

Rubus Pharmacology: Antiquity to the Present

The genus Rubus L., indigenous to six continents, includes blackberries, raspberries, and their hybrids and is commonly referred to as brambles or briers. Rubus species were a food and medicinal source for native peoples soon after the Ice Age. This short article presents only a sample of the wealth of historical reports of medicinal uses for Rubus. Brambles were documented in the writings of the ancient Greeks: Aeschylus, Hippocrates, Krataeus, Dioscorides, and Galen; Romans: Cato, Ovid, and Pliny the Elder; Asian medicinal traditions; traditional Chinese medicine; and the Ayurvedic tradition of India. Folk traditions of native peoples throughout the world have also applied Rubus for multiple medicinal uses. Although in modern times Rubus is grown for its delicious and vitamin-rich fruit for fresh and processed product consumption, the ancients used the whole plant and its parts. Stems, branches, roots, leaves, and flowers were used in decoctions, infusions, plasters, oil or wine extractions, and condensates. Decoctions of branches were applied to stop diarrhea, dye hair, prevent vaginal discharge, and as an antivenom for snakebites. Leaves were chewed to strengthen gums and plastered to constrain shingles, head scurf, prolapsed eyes, and hemorrhoids. Flowers triturated with oil reduced eye inflammations and cooled skin rashes; infusions with water or wine aided stomach ailments. Greeks and Romans recorded female applications, whereas the Chinese described uses in male disorders. The fruits of R. chingii are combined in a yang tonic called fu pen zi, “overturned fruit bowl,” and prescribed for infertility, impotence, low backache, poor eyesight, and bedwetting or frequent urination. The Leechbook of Bald described the use of brambles against dysentery, combining ancient medicinal knowledge with pagan superstition and herb lore. Medicinal properties of Rubus continue in Renaissance and modern herbals, sanctioning leaf infusions as a gargle for sore mouth, throat cankers, and as a wash for wounds; the bark, containing tannin, was a tonic for diarrhea; and root extract, a cathartic and emetic. Recent research has measured high ellagic acid, anthocyanin, total phenolics, and total antioxidant content in Rubus fruits. Fruit extracts have been used as colorants and are now being tested as anticarcinogenic, antiviral, antiallergenic, and cosmetic moisturizing compounds. From ancient traditions through conventional folk medicines to the scientific confirmation of health-promoting compounds, Rubus is associated with health-inducing properties.

A family of polyketide synthase genes expressed in ripening Rubus fruits

Quality traits of raspberry fruits such as aroma and color derive in part from the polyketide derivatives, benzalacetone and dihydrochalcone, respectively. The formation of these metabolites during fruit ripening is the result of the activity of polyketide synthases (PKS), benzalcetone synthase and chalcone synthase (CHS), during fruit development. To gain an understanding of the regulation of these multiple PKSs during fruit ripening, we have characterized the repertoire of Rubus PKS genes and studied their expression patterns during fruit ripening. Using a PCR-based homology search, a family of ten PKS genes ( Ripks1-10) sharing 82–98% nucleotide sequence identity was identified in the Rubus idaeus genome. Low stringency screening of a ripening fruit-specific cDNA library, identified three groups of PKS cDNAs. Group 1 and 2 cDNAs were also represented in the PCR amplified products, while group 3 represented a new class of Rubus PKS gene. The Rubus PKS gene-family thus consists of at least eleven members. The three cDNAs exhibit distinct tissue-specific and developmentally regulated patterns of expression. RiPKS5 has high constitutive levels of expression in all organs, including developing flowers and fruits, while RiPKS6 and RiPKS11 expression is consistent with developmental and tissue-specific regulation in various organs. The recombinant proteins encoded by the three RiPKS cDNAs showed a typical CHS-type PKS activity. While phylogenetic analysis placed the three Rubus PKSs in one cluster, suggesting a recent duplication event, their distinct expression patterns suggest that their regulation, and thus function(s), has evolved independently of the structural genes themselves.

BREEDING RUBUS CULTIVARS FOR HIGH ANTHOCYANIN CONTENT AND HIGH ANTIOXIDANT CAPACITY

Research has demonstrated a link between enhanced human health and diet, in particular the fruit and vegetable components. For berryfruit, improvements in eyesight, blood flow and reduction of age-related degeneration have been documented. In blueberries (Vaccinium spp.) health benefits have been associated with high antioxidant capacity and the high concentration and diversity of anthocyanins, although specific functions of individual anthocyanins have yet to be established. Following the blueberry example, anthocyanin content and antioxidant activity from HortResearch Rubus clones were assessed. Initial measurements showed anthocyanin content of Rubus selections to vary quantitatively and qualitatively. Within each berryfruit type the total concentration of anthocyanins varied substantially. Lowest anthocyanin concentrations were found in red raspberry (28-75 mg/100 g fresh weight) and highest were in black raspberry (145-536 mg/100 g fresh weight). Present results show that Rubus fruit contain a diverse range of anthocyanins and total anthocyanin content. As the knowledge on the bioactivity of individual components of Rubus anthocyanins increases, the ability to generate berryfruit cultivars with improved levels of specific compounds will be enhanced. This will lead to commercial production of high health Rubus crops with significantly higher anthocyanin content and antioxidant capacity than found in existing cultivars.

BOYSENBERRY -A CHARACTER DESCRIPTION FOR COMMERCE

A description of Boysenberry (Rubus ursinus hybrid), using characteristics that are important for the majority of processors, has been developed. This will enable verification and the detection of adulterations in Boysenberry products and the establishment of boundaries defining new Boysenberry cultivars within breeding programmes. In the 1997/98 and 1998/99 seasons, Boysenberries and a range of other Rubus fruits were analysed for anthocyanin pigments using HPLC. The main anthocyanins of Boysenberries were cyanidin 3-sophoroside (cy-sop), cyanidin 3-rutinoside-5-glucoside (cy-glurut), cyanidin 3-glucoside, (cy-glu) with minor amounts of cyanidin 3-rutinoside (cy-rut). The cy-sop/cy-glu ratio appeared to distinguish Boysenberry from other berry types. Aroma tests appeared promising as a further test to distinguish Boysenberry from other Rubus, as an untrained taste panel was able to distinguish Boysenberries from the other samples. Headspace analysis was used to analyse the fruit samples for volatiles. High levels of linalool were associated with Boysenberry, Loganberry and Youngberry fruit but no volatiles unique to commercially acceptable Boysenberry were identified. Unripe fruit showed lower levels of volatiles, which could limit the ability to distinguish between fruit types using this.