Comparative biochemical analysis of various berries collected from Fogo Island and chemical analysis of lingonberries using HPLC-UV/DAD MS TOF analyzer

• Main Author: Ahmed, Farhana
• Format: Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: Memorial University of Newfoundland 2023
• Subjects: Newfoundland
• Online Access: https://research.library.mun.ca/16092/; https://research.library.mun.ca/16092/1/converted.pdf

Research on berries has been carried out for the last several decades due to their significant health benefits. This thesis presents an experimental study of different berries collected from Fogo Island, an offshore island of the province of Newfoundland and Labrador. The objective of this study was to evaluate the biochemical activities of different species of berries and to determine the phenolic constituents in lingonberries. Four types of berry samples including blueberries, crowberries, bunchberries and lingonberries, both fruits and leaves, were collected during the autumn season for two consecutive years from different locations on Fogo Island. All the samples were extracted and made into a powder using liquid nitrogen followed by sonication with a solvent system and centrifugation. Assays including the DPPH free radical scavenging capacity, total phenolic, total anthocyanin, total flavonoid and total tannin content of the samples were performed. Samples with the highest antioxidant activity were chosen for HPLC analysis using a HPLC UV/DAD MS TOF system. Blueberries and lingonberries showed the most promising results regarding antioxidant activities. Leaves showed higher antioxidant activity than fruits. More than 25 organic compounds were identified from lingonberries using HPLC analysis. Based on the promising results, it can be concluded that Fogo Island can be a lucrative spot to grow berries on a commercial basis. The presence of these phenolic constituents can explain the effects of lingonberries on human health and lead to additional pharmacological studies with extracts or specific compounds found in these berries.