Introduction.
Saskatoon berry (Amelanchier alnifolia Nutt.) is
a promising fruit species originating from North America. Among
pomaceous fruits, saskatoon berries are a valuable source of chemical
compounds with an antioxidant effect. Materials and methods.
The total phenolic content, total flavonoid content and their correlation
associated with the total antioxidant capacity of fruit of five
particular cultivars were ascertained. Reactive oxygen species (specifically
nitric oxide, superoxide anion and hydroxyl radical) and antioxidant
activity in the liver lipid system of their methanolic extracts
were also assessed. Results and discusssion. In saskatoon
berry cultivars the total contents of phenolic compounds ranged
from (2.52 to 3.82) g gallic acid Eq·kg–1 of fresh mass, while the
values of total antioxidant capacity were observed to be from (4.17
to 5.29) g of ascorbic acid Eq·kg–1 of fresh mass. High correlation
coefficients between phenolics as well as flavonoids and antioxidant capacity
were calculated (r2 = 0.8921 and r2
= 0.9901, respectively). Nitric oxide, superoxide anion, hydroxyl
radical and antioxidant activity in the liver lipid system of saskatoon
berry fruit methanolic extracts (10%) were provided for the first
time. In the case of nitric oxide, the inhibitions were 21.08–27.52%;
as regards superoxide anion, they were 25.14–30.73%; concerning hydroxyl
radical, 18.25–21.18%, and in respect of antioxidant activity in
the liver lipid system, 7.90–8.38%. These inhibitions are stronger
than, e.g., in apples which are the most important
species of pomaceous fruit worldwide. Conclusions.
Saskatoon berry fruit could be a suitable supplement for modern human
nutrition. Furthermore, our work contributes to the popularisation
of this pomaceous species, with the focus on its potential in relation
to high antioxidant strength.