Raspberry (Aksu Kirmizisi, Rubin, Newburgh, Hollanda Boduru, Heritage) and blackberry (Bursa 1, Bursa 2, Jumbo, Chester) cultivars were assayed for antioxidant activity (determined as 2,2-azino-di-[3-ethylbenzothialozine-sulphonic acid][ABTS], 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical [DPPH], and cupric ion reducing antioxidant capacity [CUPRAC]), total phenol, total flavonoid, and total anthocyanin contents. In addition, 10 anthocyanins and anthocyanidins were determined in raspberry and blackberry by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Raspberry and blackberry had the highest ABTS, DPPH, CUPRAC, total phenol, and total flavonoid contents in methanol extracts, whereas total anthocyanin contents were the highest in water extracts. The antioxidant activity of the raspberry and blackberry was directly related to the total amount of phenolic compounds detected in the raspberry and blackberry. All antioxidant activity values were highly correlated with anthocyanin content in blackberry (0.93 < or = r < or = 0.99, P = 0.05). On the other hand, high correlation between total flavonoid content and antioxidant activity was recorded in water extract of blackberry (0.91 < or = r < or = 0.93, P = 0.05). ABTS value was highly correlated with total flavonoid content in methanol extract (r = 0.90), whereas total flavonoid content was relatively less correlated with DPPH (r = 0.85) and CUPRAC (r = 0.89).

The phenolic compounds in raspberry and blackberry cultivars grown in Turkey were determined by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (MS)/MS in fresh, just-frozen, and stored fruits at −22°C for 6 months period. The major phenolic compounds in water extracted samples were ellagic acid (1,350.36-727.9 mg/kg fresh fruit), ferulic acid (820.78-338.27 mg/kg fresh fruit), caffeic acid (754.85-202.78 mg/kg fresh fruit), p-coumaric acid (361.68-142.63 mg/kg fresh fruit), p-hydroxybenzoic acid (534.20-233.29 mg/kg fresh fruit), and quercetin (46.97-27.31 mg/kg fresh fruit) in raspberry and ellagic acid (1,828.07-1,555.13 mg/kg fresh fruit), ferulic acid (757.69-413.82 mg/kg fresh fruit), caffeic acid (736.85-337.89 mg/kg fresh fruit), p-coumaric acid (877.45-287.15 mg/kg fresh fruit), and quercetin (74.69-56.78 mg/kg fresh fruit) in blackberry. The varietal differences in the phenolic compound contents were larger among the blackberry cultivars (from 1,828.07 to 56.78 mg/kg fresh fruit) than among the raspberry cultivars (1,350.36 to 27.31 mg/kg fresh fruit). A significant decrease was observed in the content of p-hydroxybenzoic acid (from 534.20 to 114.30 mg/kg; Aksu Kırmızısı) and the least decrease was in the content of caffeic acid (from 545.42 to 530.91 mg/kg; Heritage) in raspberry cultivars. On the other hand, ferulic acid (from 475.16 to 113.33 mg/kg) decreased significantly in blackberry (Bursa 2) after storage for 6 months.

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