Published in Scientific Papers. Series B, Horticulture, Vol. LXVIV, Issue 1
Written by Laura POP (CARPESCU), Rui COSTA, Adrian ASĂNICĂ, Stelica CRISTEA, Corina PREDESCU, Dana TĂPĂLOAGĂ, Liliana TUDOREANU
Aronia melanocarpa fruits have been linked to a variety of health benefits due to their nutritional, antioxidant, antiviral, and anti-inflammatory properties. The main objective of this study was to identify the optimal harvest time for maximum nutritional antioxidant potential and nutritional mineral concentrations. Ten berry samples of 'Nero Eggert’ Aronia melanocarpa variety were harvested twice per week over 5 weeks (August-September). Aronia berries harvested in early August contain high concentrations of dietary macronutrients: Ca (807.17 mg/kg), K (3,070.15 mg/kg), Mg (201.94 mg/kg), Na (116.77 mg/kg), dietary ultratrace elements: B (168.65 mg/kg) and Sr (1.14 mg/kg) and total flavonoid content (TFC - 1,722.87 mg CE/100 g). Berries harvested in early September contain high total polyphenol concentrations (TPC - 2,358.65 mg GAE/100 g), total antioxidant capacity (TAC - 41,58 mmol TE/ 100 g), total anthocyanin content (TA - 357.17 mg CGE/100 g) and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP - 69.33 mmol Fe(II)/100 g), high concentrations of dietary micronutrients: Cr (0.39 mg/kg), Cu (1.53 mg/kg), Fe (110 mg/kg), Mn (9.2 mg/kg), Zn (108.32 mg/kg), which make them recommended for functional and personalized foods with high polyphenol content.
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