Berry anthocyanins: isolation,identification and antioxidant activities

Anthocyanins from bilberry, blackcurrant and cowberry were isolated for antioxidant evaluation. Individual compounds were identified and quantified using HPLC and HPLC/ESI–MS techniques. Antioxidant and radical‐scavenging capacities of the isolates were studied in emulsified methyl linoleate and human low‐density lipoprotein (LDL) in vitro and in the 2,2‐diphenyl‐1‐picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) test. The total anthocyanin contents in the phenolic extracts of bilberry, blackcurrant and cowberry were 6000, 2360 and 680 mg kg^?1 fresh weight respectively. There were four dominant compounds in blackcurrant (glucosides and rutinosides of cyanidin and delphinidin), three in cowberry (monoglycosides of cyanidin) and 15 in bilberry (monoglycosides of cyanidin, delphinidin, malvidin, peonidin and petunidin). Quantification as cyanidin‐3‐glucoside equivalents gave markedly lower results regarding the total anthocyanin concentration and the content of individual delphinidin and malvidin compounds compared with quantification based on corresponding standard compounds. Berry anthocyanins were highly active radical scavengers in the DPPH test and effective antioxidants in emulsion and human LDL. Copyright © 2003 Society of Chemical Industry     

Quality Characteristics of Four Mulberry (Morus sp) Cultivars in the Area of Chania,Greece

Four cultivars of mulberry, Morus sp (cvs Mavromournia (red-fruited), Mavri (black-fruited), Rodini (purple-fruited) and Aspri (white-fruited)) were harvested at three stages of harvest maturity (immature, mature and fully mature). The fruit were evaluated for fresh weight, firmness, total soluble solids, titratable acidity and anthocyanin content and composition. Mavromournia mulberries significantly differed compared to the other cultivars in all quality characteristics and especially in titratable acidity and anthocyanin content. Cyanidin-3-grucorutinoside is responsible for about 60% of the fruit coloration. Mavromournia mulberries are fruit of excellent quality characteristics and have a great market potential as fresh or processed product. © 1997 SCI.     

越橘提取物中花青素分析及其体外抗氧化活性

研究越橘提取物中花青素的组成与含量及其体外抗氧化活性。实验采用高效液相色谱与质谱联用法对越橘提取物中的花青素组成进行鉴定,并以矢车菊素-3-O-葡萄糖苷为标准品测定了花青素的含量。以V_C为对照,测定越橘提取物对DPPH自由基、ABTS自由基、羟基自由基的清除能力和还原力。结果表明,越橘提取物中含有14种花青素,包括飞燕草素、矢车菊素、矮牵牛素、芍药素和锦葵素类;越橘提取物中花青素的总含量为408.74 μg/mg,其中,矢车菊素类花青素含量最高,为159.93 μg/mg,占总含量的39.12%;体外抗氧化实验表明,越橘提取物的DPPH自由基清除能力、ABTS自由基清除能力和羟基自由基清除能力的IC₅₀分别为26.16、13.07、1.91 mg/mL,还原力在浓度为250 μg/mL时达到0.617。本研究为越橘的开发利用提供一定理论与数据基础。     

Phenolic Profiles,Antioxidant Activities,and Neuroprotective Properties of Mulberry (Morus atropurpurea Roxb.) Fruit Extracts from Different Ripening Stages

The present work investigated the phenolic profiles (including nonanthocyanin and anthocyanin phenolics), antioxidant activities, and neuroprotective potential of mulberry fruit (MF) (Morus atropurpurea Roxb.) grown in China at different ripening stages. High‐performance liquid chromatography‐tandem mass spectrometry method (HPLC‐MS/MS) was used to identify and quantify the phenolic compounds. The antioxidant capacity, total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), and total monomeric anthocyanin content (TAC) were determined using spectrophotometric methods. The neuroprotective effects of MFs at different ripening stages were investigated using Aβ_25‐35‐treated PC12 cells as the cellular model of Alzheimer's disease. Of the 19 phenolic compounds characterized from the MF extracts, the contents of rutin and anthocyanins increased and that of chlorogenic acid decreased significantly with maturity. At the fully ripened stage, MF extracts showed the highest amounts of TPC (11.23 mg gallic acid equivalents/g fresh weight), TFC (15.1 mg rutin equivalents/g fresh weight), and TAC (1177 mg cyanidin 3‐O‐glucoside equivalents/100 g fresh weight). Meanwhile, antioxidant activity of MF extracts at this stage was highest according to ABTS (an IC50 value of 4.11 μg/mL) and DPPH (an IC50 value of 10.08 μg/mL) assays. Cellular assays revealed increased cell viability in cells treated with the ripe MF extracts; compared with the control groups, the ripening fruits also increased the antioxidant enzyme levels in PC12 cells. Together, these results suggest that the antioxidant activities and neuroprotective properties of ripening MFs are related to the contents and types of phenolic compounds that are present in the fruits.     

越橘果实花色苷的体外抗氧化性

采用还原能力测定、清除羟自由基(·OH)能力、清除超氧阴离子自由基(O2·)能力和对DPPH 自由基的抑制作用对高丛越橘蓝丰、半高丛越橘北春、矮丛越橘美登及野生品种越橘果实花色苷进行体外抗氧化活性研究,并测定其中花色苷含量。结果表明：花色苷粗品中蓝丰、北春、美登和野生越橘的花色苷含量依次为19.77、12.67、24.73、32.44mg/g;4 种果实花色苷皆有良好的抗氧化活性,在溶液质量浓度相同的情况下,4 种越橘果实花色苷溶液的抗氧化活性与花色苷含量呈一定的量效关系,野生越橘的还原能力、清除·OH 能力、清除O2·能力和清除DPPH 自由基能力均最高,矮丛越橘美登次之;而在花色苷含量相同的情况下,高丛越橘蓝丰、半高丛越橘北春、矮丛越橘美登及野生品种越橘果实的花色苷抗氧化活性不同,推测是由于其花色苷组分及其含量不同所致。     

Comparison of Polyphenol Profile and Inhibitory Activities Against Oxidation and α‐Glucosidase in Mulberry (Genus Morus) Cultivars from China

Mulberry (genus Morus) is a significant source of polyphenols, which can promote positive effects on human health. China has various mulberry cultivars, however, many Chinese mulberry cultivars have been only minimally studied. To solve this lack of research, 8 mulberry cultivars (Da10, Tang10, Yueshen74, Yuefenshen, Longsang, Ningxia1hao, Taiwanguosang, and Baiyuwang) from 4 regions of China were assessed to determine their polyphenol profiles using HPLC‐MS/MS and then tested for their antioxidant and anti‐α‐glucosidase activities in vitro. A total of 18 nonanthocyanins and 4 anthocyanins were quantified in mulberry cultivars; among these polyphenols, chlorogenic acid, quercetin 3‐O‐rutinoside, and cyanidin 3‐O‐glucoside were confirmed as the major phenolic acid, flavonol derivative, and anthocyanin, respectively. Two types of stilbene compounds, piceid, and piceatannol, were detected for the 1st time in all mulberry cultivars. Moreover, the methanolic extracts of different mulberry cultivars showed disparate antioxidant and α‐glucosidase inhibitory activities, and this discrepancy was mainly attributed to varying the anthocyanin content. Based on our results, Taiwanguosang is proposed to be a good candidate suitable for further process due to its high level of anthocyanins.     

Relation between bioactive compounds and free radical‐scavenging capacity in berry fruits during frozen storage

In this work the correlation between the free radical‐scavenging capacity and bioactive compounds (anthocyanins, ellagic acid, total phenolics and vitamin C) in four Spanish raspberry cultivars (Heritage, Autumn Bliss, Zeva and Rubi) and Spanish wild blackberry as affected by freezing and frozen storage was evaluated. From this mathematical study a significant correlation was obtained between the radical‐scavenging capacity and the anthocyanin and total phenolic contents in both raspberry (r = 0.85 and 0.83 respectively) and blackberry (r = 0.84 and 0.68 respectively) fruits, but no correlation was found between this parameter and the ellagic acid and vitamin C contents. A key objective of this study was to select the raspberry cultivar most suitable for freezing preservation in terms of the stability of its health‐promoting constituents. A two‐dimensional principal component analysis (PCA) of the raspberry cultivars explained 82% of the total variance of the factors mentioned above. The early raspberry cultivars (Heritage and Autumn Bliss) showed a lower content of bioactive compounds and lower radical‐scavenging capacity, while the late cultivars (Zeva and Rubi) showed higher values, and these differences were clearly displayed by the PCA. © 2003 Society of Chemical Industry     

不同成熟期“北春”越橘花色苷含量及抗氧化研究

为充分开发利用越橘属植物资源,确定适宜采收期,分别采收绿白期、粉熟期、亮蓝期、后熟期的越橘栽培品种"北春",对四个不同成熟期的果实进行花色苷含量及体外抗氧化活性研究,并对越橘果实中糖酸含量与花色苷含量进行了相关性分析。结果表明,随着果实的成熟,花色苷含量逐渐增加,且在亮蓝期达到最高150.54mg/100g;果实的花色苷含量与糖酸比呈正相关;4个不同成熟期的"北春"果实花色苷均有良好的抗氧化活性,且花色苷的抗氧化活性与其含量呈正相关,亮蓝期"北春"越橘的还原能力、抗脂质过氧化能力、清除羟自由基能力、清除超氧阴离子自由基能力和清除DPPH自由基能力均最高,且其抗脂质过氧化能力、清除羟自由基的能力均高于抗坏血酸。     

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ANTHOCYANIN PATTERNS AND ANTIOXIDANT CAPACITY IN MULBERRY WINE DURING STORAGE

Mulberry wine stored for 1, 3, and 12 months was used to investigate the relationship between wine color, copigmentation, polymerization of anthocyanins, and the antioxidant capacity of the wine. Color density, patterns of anthocyanins (monomeric, copigmented and polymeric) and antioxidant capacity were measured. The results show that copigmented and polymeric anthocyanins in mulberry wine increased from 0% and 16.63% to 20.93% and 30.44%, respectively, while monomeric anthocyanins decreased from 83.37% to 48.63%. The 1,1,Diphenyl‐2‐picryl‐hydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging ability increased after storage and was highly correlated with the polymeric anthocyanin content (r = 0.98). The ferric reducing ability of plasma (FRAP) reducing power decreased on storage. Sephadex G25 was used to separate the pigments into three different molecular sizes. The largest molecules were in Fraction I, which contained the polymerized anthocyanins and was associated with the DPPH scavenging activity. Fraction II, intermediate in size, contained the copigmented anthocyanins. Fraction III, the smallest in size, was composed of the monomeric anthocyanins and was associated with the FRAP activity.     

Influence of alcoholic fermentation process on antioxidant activity and phenolic levels from mulberries (Morus nigra L.)

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the profile of the phenolic constituents of Morus nigra fruits and their antioxidant activity (DPPH) and to compare their contents before and after fermentation. Antioxidant phenolics of black mulberry (M. nigra L.) samples grown in Galicia (NW Spain) were extracted with methanol/formic acid/water (MFW) and determined by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Two major anthocyanins (cyanidin 3-glucoside and cyanidin 3-rutinoside) and two flavonols (quercetin 3-glucoside and rutin) were isolated, together with caffeic acid and other hydroxycinnamic and ellagic acid derivatives. Their chemical structures were identified by spectral analyses with diode array detection (DAD), but also with alkaline saponification and acid hydrolysis of the mulberry phenolics. Good correlations (r² = 0.6229) were observed among total flavonols contents and the IC₅₀ radical scavenging capacities of mulberry fruits. Anthocyanins are the major flavonoids present in mulberry. It would be expected that anthocyanins contribute significantly to their antioxidant activity; nevertheless, alcohol generated during fermentation may also contribute to antioxidant activity. Our results provide useful antioxidant nutritional information of fresh and fermented mulberry fruits.     

几种天然植物花色苷体外清除自由基活性比较研究

为了研究天然植物花色苷的抗氧化活性,本实验用醇提法从几种天然植物中提取出花色苷,采用DPPH自由基体系、羟基自由基体系以及超氧阴离子自由基体系,对其体外清除自由基活性进行研究并通过IC50值比较各植物花色苷清除自由基活性的强弱。结果表明,荔枝皮花色苷清除DPPH自由基、楮果花色苷清除羟基自由基、桑椹花色苷清除超氧阴离子自由基的活性最强,并且各植物花色苷在不同自由基体系中表现出不同的抗氧化活性。     

INHIBITORY EFFECT OF ANTHOCYANIN EXTRACT FROM SEED COAT OF BLACK BEAN ON PERICARP BROWNING AND LIPID PEROXIDATION OF LITCHI FRUIT DURING STORAGE

ABSTRACT

Anthocyanins were extracted from seed coats of black beans (Glycine max[L.]) and the inhibitory effects of anthocyanin extract on pericarp browning and lipid peroxidation of litchi fruit were investigated. Litchi fruit were infiltrated for 3 min with 0 (control) or 50 mg/L of anthocyanin extract at a reduced pressure of 53 kPa, then packed in 0.03 mm thick polyethylene bags, and finally stored at 28C for 6 days. Changes in browning index, contents of anthocyanins and total phenol, peroxidase (POD) activity, levels of relative leakage rate and lipid peroxidation, α,α‐diphenyl‐β‐picrylhydrazy (DPPH) radical scavenging activity and reducing power were evaluated. Application of anthocyanin extract from black bean delayed pericarp browning of litchi fruit during storage, which was associated with reduced POD activity and higher contents of anthocyanins and total phenol. Moreover, the anthocyanin extract was found to have a direct inhibition on the POD activity in vitro. Furthermore, application of the anthocyanin extract apparently reduced lipid peroxidation and relatively maintained membrane integrity, which may account for browning inhibition to an extent. Finally, higher DPPH radical scavenging activity and reducing power of the fruits treated with the anthocyanin extract than control fruits possibly benefited in scavenging free radicals and reducing lipid peroxidation. It is, therefore, suggested that inhibited POD activity and reduced lipid peroxidation by the anthocyanin extract from seed coats of black beans were responsible for the inhibition of pericarp browning of litchi fruits.

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS

Lipid peroxidation is a major cause of quality deterioration of postharvest fruits and vegetables. Some synthetic antioxidants are beneficial in inhibiting lipid peroxidation. However, considering that synthetic antioxidants, such as butylhydroxyanisole and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), have potential toxicity, the use of natural extracts to extend the shelf life of postharvest fruits and vegetables is a tendency. In our previous study, it has been found that anthocyanin extract from litchi pericarp has stronger antioxidant activities or free radical scavenging activities than BHT and ascorbic acid ( Duan et al. 2007 ). In this study, the application of anthocyanin extract from seed coat of black soybean showed reduced lipid peroxidation and pericarp browning. It could be used potentially as a postharvest technology for reducing or replacing the use of other chemicals, but it requires further investigation.     

采前水杨酸处理对树莓果实贮藏效果及抗氧化能力的影响

探讨采前水杨酸处理对树莓果实贮藏效果以及抗氧化能力的影响。树莓果实于采前用1mmol/L 水杨酸喷施1 次、2 次和3 次后,采摘并贮藏于1℃条件下,分别隔10、23d 统计好果率,同时测定清除自由基的能力并研究总酚、总黄酮和花青素含量的变化规律。结果表明水杨酸喷施2～3 次均能显著提高树莓采后贮藏期间的好果率,其中喷施2 次的效果最好。采前水杨酸处理可提高采摘时树莓果实花青素、总酚和总黄酮的含量,以及总抗氧化能力、羟自由基和DPPH 自由基清除能力,而显著降低过氧化氢含量,以喷施2 次效果最为明显。同时,水杨酸处理可提高树莓果实采后贮藏期间的过氧化氢、总黄酮含量和清除DPPH 自由基的能力,降低花青素和总酚含量、以及总抗氧化能力和清除羟自由基能力。采前水杨酸处理主要通过诱导次生代谢物质产生和增强清除DPPH 自由基能力来显著提高树莓果实采后贮藏效果。     

基于LC-MS/MS分析‘塔罗科’血橙优系果实花青素组分特征

以‘塔罗科’血橙优系为研究对象，运用液相色谱-串联质谱技术检测其与对照品种‘塔罗科’血橙果实花青素的组分及相对含量，筛选优系差异花青素代谢物。结果表明，‘塔罗科’血橙优系果实中共鉴定出矢车菊素、飞燕草素、芍药花素、天竺葵素、矮牵牛素、锦葵素以及花青素合成前体物质黄酮7 类33 种花青素相关代谢物，其内膛和外围果实花青素代谢物数量和种类一致，无差异代谢物；而对照品种内膛和外围果实分别检测出27 种和30 种花青素代谢物，其中内外差异代谢物达9 种，分属矢车菊素、飞燕草素、芍药花色素和黄酮4 类物质。‘塔罗科’血橙优系和对照品种花青素主要成分均为矢车菊素-3-O-丙二酰葡萄糖苷和矢车菊素-3-O-葡萄糖苷，两者在优系内膛和外围果实中分别约占总花青素含量的42.3%、41.0%和40.6%、41.4%，在对照品种内膛和外围果实中分别约占39.5%、41.0%和36.8%、40.6%。相比对照，‘塔罗科’血橙优系果实中矢车菊素类物质绝对含量和总花青素占比均显著提高，其内膛和外围果实矢车菊素类花青素总量分别为48.68 μg/g（91.90%）和62.16 μg/g（92.28%），此外，飞燕草素、芍药花素以及黄酮3 类代谢物占各自花青素总量的百分比也相近，推测‘塔罗科’血橙优系果实花青素合成可能受温度的影响较小。研究发现‘塔罗科’血橙优系较对照品种花青素含量高且代谢物种类多，综合品质优良，可为血橙品种遗传改良及利用提供一定的理论依据。     

野阳合花色苷提取物的抗氧化活性

目的：研究野阳合花色苷提取物的体外抗氧化活性,建立过氧化氢（H2O2）诱导的中国仓鼠肺细胞 （V79-4细胞）氧化损伤模型,初步评价其抗氧化应激作用。方法：采用高效液相色谱-质谱联用分析野阳合花色 苷组成;测定花色苷提取物对2’-联氨-双-3-乙基苯并噻唑啉-6-磺酸（2,2’-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid),ABTS）自由基和1,1-二苯基-2-三硝基苯肼（1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl,DPPH）自由基的清除能力;建 立H2O2诱导V79-4细胞氧化损伤模型,分别采用噻唑蓝、硫代巴比妥酸反应产物和荧光探针2’,7’-二氢二氯荧光黄 双乙酸钠测定花色苷提取物对V79-4细胞氧化损伤的保护作用。结果：野阳合提取物含有4 种花色苷,结合保留时 间和质谱数据等信息,推测分别为矢车菊素-3-半乳糖苷、矢车菊素-3-（6”-香豆酰）葡萄糖苷、芍药色素-3-葡萄 糖苷和芍药色素-3-（6”-香豆酰）葡萄糖苷;花色苷提取物对ABTS＋·和DPPH自由基有良好的清除效果,半抑制 浓度分别是（1.72±0.26） μg/mL和（0.74±0.24） μg/mL,清除能力优于阳性对照水溶性VE;细胞氧化损伤模型 中,50～200 μg/mL的花色苷提取物预处理H2O2诱导V79-4细胞氧化损伤,能明显抑制细胞存活率的下降和脂质过 氧化,并降低损伤后胞内活性氧簇水平。结论：野阳合花色苷提取物具有良好的体外自由基清除能力,并对H2O2 诱导的V79-4细胞氧化损伤具有保护作用。     

不同花色苷代表性成分的分离鉴定及体外抗氧化活性

本实验以紫甘薯、黑枸杞、黑加仑和桑葚花色苷提取物为原料,制备其单体花色苷组分并研究其体外抗氧化性质。选取每种花色苷中含量较高,分子量居中,具有代表性的单体化合物作为目标组分,采用高速逆流色谱制备分离四种来源的花色苷。选用甲基叔丁基醚-正丁醇-乙腈-水-三氟乙酸作为溶剂体系,流速设定为5 mL/min,转速为850 r/min,分离得到高纯度花色苷单体化合物。采用分光光度法、HPLC-MS法分析测定花色苷含量及主要组成,用DPPH自由基、羟自由基清除能力和总还原力的测定分析其体外抗氧化活性。结果表明,四种来源的花色苷中代表性的成分依次为芍药素-3-咖啡酰-阿魏酰槐糖苷-5-葡萄糖苷、矮牵牛素-3-O-对香豆酰芸香糖苷-5-O-葡萄糖苷、矢车菊-3-芸香糖苷和矢车菊-3-O-葡萄糖苷,它们均具有良好的体外抗氧化活性。     

Sweetpotato (Ipomoea batatas L.) Leaf: Its Potential Effect on Human Health and Nutrition

Previous experiments revealed that sweetpotato leaves contain a high content of polyphenolics, namely anthocyanins and phenolic acids, compared with the major commercial vegetables. Sweetpotato leaves contain at least 15 biologically active anthocyanins that have significant medicinal value for certain human diseases and may also be used as natural food colorants. The anthocyanins were acylated cyanidin and peonidin type. The phenolic acids were composed of caffeic acid (CA) and 5 kinds of caffeoylquinic acid derivatives, 3‐mono‐O‐caffeoylquinic acid (chlorogenic acid, ChA), 3,4‐di‐O‐caffeoylquinic acid (3,4‐diCQA), 3,5‐di‐O‐caffeoylquinic acid (3,5‐diCQA), 4,5‐di‐O‐caffeoylquinic acid (4,5‐diCQA), and 3,4,5‐tri‐O‐caffeoylquinic acid (3,4,5‐triCQA). These polyphenolics showed various kinds of physiological functions, radical scavenging activity, antimutagenic activity, anticancer, antidiabetes, and antibacterial activity in vitro or in vivo, which may be helpful for maintaining and promoting human health. The physiological function of caffeoylquinic acid (CQA) derivatives with the plural caffeoyl group is more effective than with a monocaffeoyl one. This review describes the nutritional composition and physiological functions of sweetpotato leaves when used as a vegetable, and as a resource for products with these functions.     

Anthocyanins,Antioxidative, and Antimicrobial Properties of American Cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon Ait.) and their Press Cakes

ABSTRACT: Amounts of total phenolics, anthocyanins, and ascorbic acid in 4 American cranberry varieties harvested at 4 stages of maturity were measured. The larger amount of phenolic compounds was found in berries of “Black Veil” cultivar (504 mg/100 g) at II stage of maturity. Significantly larger amounts of anthocyanins were determined in the overripe berries of the cultivars “Ben Lear” and “Black Veil.” The amount of ascorbic acid in berries increased during ripening from I to III stage, and slightly decreased in the overripe berries. The biggest quantities of ascorbic acid were found in the ripe berries of “Ben Lear” cultivar (15.8 mg/100 g). The distribution of anthocyanins pigments was determined by HPLC‐UV/MS in mature berries. The composition of individual anthocyanins in berries was quite similar in all the studied cranberry cultivars. While skins of cranberries are rich in anthocyanins and other phenolic compounds, the extracts of the by‐products of cranberries juice—berry cakes, were analyzed and obtained results were compared with the properties of extracts made from whole berries. The anthocyanins and total phenolics content, radical scavenging activity, antimicrobial activity of the whole berries, and their press cakes extracts were measured. All investigated extracts from berries and their press cakes showed good radical scavenging activity and revealed antimicrobial properties. It was found that Bacillus cereus (ATCC 10876) and Micrococcus luteus (ATCC 9341) were the most sensitive among 10 tested Gram‐negative and Gram‐positive bacteria.     

The properties and stability of anthocyanins in mulberry fruits

Mulberry fruit is well known as a good source of anthocyanins with many biological activities. However, there are several colors of mulberry fruits, even from the same species, which may generate different amounts of anthocyanins. This study investigates anthocyanin content and antioxidant levels as well as tyrosinase inhibition activity in the extract from various colors of mulberry fruit, Morus alba. The effects of heat and light, which the extract may be exposed to during food processing, on anthocyanin and antioxidant activities are also evaluated. Our results show that purple-colored mulberry fruit extract contains the highest levels of anthocyanin and strongest antioxidant as well as anti-tyrosinase properties compared with other colors mulberry fruit extracts. Light or heat exposure by incubation of the mulberry fruit extract at 70 °C for 10 h significantly deteriorated total anthocyanin and ascorbic acid content and led to a corresponding increase of the IC₅₀ values.     

European elderberry (Sambucus nigra L.) rich in sugars,organic acids,anthocyanins and selected polyphenols

Sugars and organic acids in the fruit of two cultivars and three selections of black elderberry (Sambucus nigra L.): ‘Haschberg’, ‘Rubini’, ‘Selection 13’, ‘Selection 14’ and ‘Selection 25’ were quantified. The anthocyanin as well as quercetin profiles of this plant material were also established by the use of HPLC/MS. Significant differences in the concentration of sugars and organic acids were detected between the widely spread cultivar ‘Haschberg’ and all other cultivars/selections; ‘Haschberg’ was the richest in organic acids (6.38 g kg⁻¹ FW), and it contained the least sugar (68.5 g kg⁻¹ FW). The following major cyanidin based anthocyanins were identified in the fruit of black elderberry: cyanidin 3-sambubioside-5-glucoside, cyanidin 3,5-diglucoside, cyanidin 3-sambubioside, cyanidin 3-glucoside and cyanidin 3-rutinoside. The most abundant anthocyanin in elderberry fruit was cyanidin 3-sambubioside, which accounted for more than half of all anthocyanins identified in the berries. The ‘Rubini’ cultivar had the highest amount of the anthocyanins identified (1265 mg/100 g FW) and the lowest amount was measured in berries of the ‘Selection 14’ (603 mg/100 g FW). The ‘Haschberg’ cultivar contained a relatively low amount of anthocyanins in ripe berries (737 mg/100 g FW). From the quercetin group, quercetin, quercetin 3-rutinoside and quercetin 3-glucoside were identified; the latter prevailing in black elderberry fruit. The cultivar with the highest amount of total quercetins was ‘Selection 25’ (73.4 mg/100 g FW), while the ‘Haschberg’ cultivar contained average amounts of quercetins (61.3 mg/100 g FW). The chemical composition of the ‘Haschberg’ cultivar, the most commonly planted, conforms to the standards for sugars, anthocyanins and quercetins and exceeds them in the content levels of organic acids, the most important parameter in fruit processing.