Determination of anthocyanins in various cultivars of highbush and rabbiteye blueberries

Anthocyanins were identified and quantified in various cultivars of blueberries grown in Australia. Those were Crunchie, Star and Sharpe (highbush, Vaccinium corymbosum L.) and Climax, Powderblue and Brightwell (rabbiteye, Vaccinium ashei). A method was developed involving liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry and UV–visible spectroscopy. The repeatability of injection was less than 2% relative standard deviation (RSD) while the repeatability of sample preparation was less than 10% RSD in most cases. The method was linear between 7% and 100% of the original concentration. The anthocyanin profile was similar in all cultivars but proportions of each compound were cultivar-dependent. Highbush had more early eluting peaks, i.e. more polar anthocyanins, than rabbiteye cultivars. Delphinidin, petunidin and malvidin were the major contributors to total anthocyanin content. Climax had the highest total anthocyanin content (13.7 ± 1.4 g cyanidin 3-glucoside equivalent kg−1 dry weight) and antioxidant activity (using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl as a free radical) of all tested cultivars. Rabbiteye had significantly higher total anthocyanin content than the highbush cultivars.