Antioxidant determination and identification of phytochemical compounds of Azores blueberry (Vaccinium cylindraceum) & chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa)

Vaccinium cylindraceum, a cousin of the cranberry plant that is native to the Azores may contain a high concentration of phytonutrient components with possible health advantages in the human body. Previous research on Vaccinium cylindraceum is limited, however it indicates the presence of polyphenols with many health advantages including flavonols and anthocyanins, that may be beneficial against certain diseases, such as inflammatory cancer, heart disease, and lowering blood pressure. This research aims to analyze the antioxidant properties, and to identify the phenolic and other phytochemical compounds such as anti-inflammatory triterpenoids in Vaccinium cylindraceum samples collected from Sao Miguel Island in July 2015 and August 2017 using HPLC and LC-MS. For comparison, we analyzed extracts prepared from Aronia melanocarpa, commonly known as chokeberries, renowned for their high antioxidant and polyphenol content and native to North America and Europe. We found that the average phenolic content of the 2015 V. cylindraceum sample was notably higher than that of the 2017 sample. Additionally, the 2015 sample exhibits superior radical scavenging activities compared to the 2017 sample, and HPLC analysis indicates higher levels of flavonols, anthocyanins and phenolic acids. We also identified similar phenolic compounds in Aronia melanocarpa including peonidin-3-O-galactoside, cyanidin-3-O-galactoside, and chlorogenic acid which may contribute to its high antioxidant capacity. The radical scavenging activity of the Aronia extracts was significantly higher compared to the V. Cylindraceum extracts. Additionally, a greater quantity of these specific phenolics were identified in the Aronia extracts. Moreover, we conducted an in-depth analysis of triterpenoid content in the extracts using LCMS and identified triterpenoids including ursolic, maslinic and oleanolic acid in both Vaccinium cylindraceum and Aronia melanocarpa that may contribute to the beneficial health promoting properties of these plants. Throughout the experiment, the Vaccinium cylindraceum extracts exhibited consistently higher triterpenoid content compared to the Aronia extracts at every tested concentration. This superior triterpenoid content in Vaccinium cylindraceum underscores its richer triterpenoid profile relative to Aronia, further supporting its potential antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.