Lätti Anja K, Riihinen Kaisu R, Kainulainen Pirjo S
Department of Environmental Science, University of Kuopio, FIN-70211, Kuopio, Finland.
J Agric Food Chem. 2008 Jan 9;56(1):190-6. doi: 10.1021/jf072857m. Epub 2007 Dec 12.
The berries of Vaccinium myrtillus L. are characterized by 15 anthocyanins. To study the variation in the anthocyanins on a south-north axis of about 1000 km in Finland, the berries from 179 individual bilberry plants in 20 populations were analyzed using an optimized RP-HPLC-DAD method. The mean content of the total anthocyanins was 2878 mg/100 g dry weight. There was extensive variation in the anthocyanin contents within and between the populations, suggesting differences in berry raw material. A significantly lower content of the total anthocyanins was observed in the berries of the southern region compared to those in the central and northern regions. Differences in the proportions of anthocyanins were also observed. The delphinidin glycosides dominated in the northern berries whereas the cyanidin glycosides were most common in the southern ones. Exceptional bilberry individuals were found mainly from eastern Finland with very low amounts of anthocyanidin glucosides. This is the first systematic study to reveal the extremely high variation in the content and distribution of anthocyanins in wild bilberries.
欧洲越橘（Vaccinium myrtillus L.）的浆果含有15种花青素。为研究芬兰境内约1000公里南北轴线上花青素的变化情况，采用优化的反相高效液相色谱 - 二极管阵列检测法（RP - HPLC - DAD）分析了20个种群中179株欧洲越橘植株的浆果。总花青素的平均含量为2878毫克/100克干重。种群内部和种群之间的花青素含量存在广泛差异，这表明浆果原料存在差异。与中部和北部地区的浆果相比，南部地区的浆果中总花青素含量显著较低。同时也观察到花青素比例的差异。北部浆果中以飞燕草素糖苷为主，而南部浆果中矢车菊素糖苷最为常见。异常的欧洲越橘个体主要发现于芬兰东部，其花青素苷含量极低。这是首次揭示野生欧洲越橘花青素含量和分布存在极高变异的系统性研究。
