Published in Scientific Papers. Series B, Horticulture, Vol. LXVIV, Issue 2
Written by Gabriela BRAD, Adrian PETICILĂ, Corina PREDESCU, Nicoleta HĂDĂRUGĂ, Liliana TUDOREANU
Wild cranberries represent a constant source of income for many local communities, however during the last decade, a few studies were published concerning their nutritional quality. The aim of the present study is to identify the influence of harvest time and location on mineral concentrations of wild cranberry berries from Apuseni Mountains, Mărgău County, Romania. Fifteen cranberry samples from Apuseni Mountains from 3 different locations were collected in August and September 2024. Minerals such as Ca, Mg, K, Zn Fe, Cu, B, Sr, were analyzed in all samples by ICP-OES. The highest Calcium concentration (177.40 ± 1.27 mg/kg) was identified for Vlădeasa-Răzoare location (September harvest). No significant differences (P>0.05) were identified for Ca, and K concentrations (regardless of the harvest time) and no significant difference for Zn and Fe total concentrations (August harvest) for berries from Vlădeasa-Răzoare and Vlădeasa-High locations. The characterization of the mineral profile of wild cranberry from Apuseni Mountains, Mărgau County, is facilitating the identification of the best harvest time and location for the development of local produces with protected designation of origin.
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