Comparison of Polyphenols and Anthocyanin Content of Different Blackcurrant (Ribes nigrum L.) Cultivars at the Polli Horticultural Research Centre in Estonia

A. Kikas¹,*, R. Rätsep¹,², H. Kaldmäe¹, A. Aluvee¹ and A.-V. Libek¹

¹Estonian University of Life Sciences, Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Polli Horticultural Research Centre, Uus 2, Polli, EE69108 Viljandi county, Estonia
²Estonian University of Life Sciences, Institute of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, ERA Chair for Food (By-) Products Valorisation Technologies, Fr. R. Kreutzwaldi 1, EE51006 Tartu, Estonia

Abstract:

The evaluation of blackcurrant cultivars and their fruit properties at the Polli Horticultural Research Centre has been active since 1945. In addition to the assessment of biological and economic properties of cultivars, it is essential to pay attention to fruit quality. In 2014, the laboratory building of Polli Horticultural Research Centre was reconstructed within the PlantValor competence centre project, enabling to introduce HPLC methods for the determination of polyphenolic compounds in fruit quality analysis. In 2017 and 2018, the fruit quality of 37 blackcurrant cultivars of different geographical origin (Belarus, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Russia, Scotland, Sweden and Ukraine) was analysed. All cultivars were grown in the genetic resources collection (2008–2019) located at the Polli Horticultural Research Centre. The main aim of the study was to analyse the content of polyphenols and anthocyanins for selecting suitable blackcurrant genotypes for breeding programmes, fruit production and possible product development. In two consecutive years of the study, the total polyphenols content in the fruits of different cultivars varied 290–634 mg 100 g^-1 fresh weight (fw) and the anthocyanins 183–471 mg 100 g^-1 fw.

Key words:

anthocyanins, biochemical composition, blackcurrant, fruit quality, polyphenols

Evaluation of blackcurrant cultivars and perspective hybrids in Lithuania

A. Sasnauskas¹, V. Trajkovski², S. Strautina³, O. Tikhonova⁴, T. Šikšnianas¹,M. Rubinskiene¹, P. Viškelis¹, J. Lanauskas¹, A. Valiuškaitė¹,R. Rugienius¹ and Č. Bobinas¹

¹Lithuanian Institute of Horticulture, Kauno 30, Babtai, Kaunas district, LT-54333, Lithuania
²Swedish Pomological Science Centre, Stubbaröd 2818, S-26023 Kågeröd, Sweden
³ Latvia State Institute of Fruit-Growing, Graudu 1, Dobele, LV-3701, Latvia
⁴N.I. Vavilov Institute of Plant Industry, 42-44 B. Morskaya Str, 190000, St. Petersburg, Russia

Abstract:

A cooperative blackcurrant breeding project between Sweden, Russia, Latvia and Lithuania studied yield, resistance to fungal diseases and pest, biochemical composition of berries of 20 new blackcurrant cultivars and hybrids at the Lithuanian Institute of Horticulture in 2004-2008. The blackcurrants were cultivated without plant protection against either diseases or pests. Yield, damage by fungal diseases and pest and biochemical composition was investigated. The hybrids BRi 9504-5, BRi 9568-1A, BRi 9508-3A and BRi 9508-3B were selected as possible cultivars.

Key words: