Abstract
Fruits and vegetables have been recognized as important sources of health promoting antioxidants in our diet. Blueberries have been known to contain high levels of antioxidant phytochemicals, generally attributed to anthocyanin pigments. Our objective is to compare Vaccinium ashii hybrid cultivar Florida Rose (pink in color at maturity) with a blue pigmented parental line for anthocyanins and total antioxidant potential. Extracts of fruits were scanned in a spectrophotometer and tested using an in vitro assay based on the decrease of linoleic acid peroxidation. The Florida Rose fruit extracts had lower total pigment concentration and lacked an absorbance peak at 562 nm. When extracts from the blue fruits and the Florida Rose fruits were compared for antioxidant potential, the Florida Rose fruits had slightly higher antioxidant activity. Despite the lack of blue pigmentation, Florida Rose had high levels of total antioxidant potential.
