Assessment of antioxidant activity, phenolic components, photosynthesis pigments ‎and fruit quantitative traits in four blackberry (Rubus sanctus) accessions at ‎different fruit maturity stages

This study was conducted in order to evaluate the variation of blackberry accession of Iran in terms of antioxidant activity, phenolic components, fruit quantitative traits and photosynthesis pigments. For this regards, four accessions of wild blackberry including Babolsar, Naharkhoran, BandarGaz and NamakAbroud belongs to Rubus sanctus species, which collected from the northern area of Iran and has been kept in Blackberry Collection of Horticulture Department of Shiraz University were selected and subjected to factorial design based on randomized complete block designs with four replications in two consecutive years. Then, the fruit sanmples were collected in three fruit maturity stages (Black, Red and Green). The results indicated significant differences between accessions in terms of half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) (range, 46.25-65.50 %), total phenolic content (TPC) (range, 224.67-350.53 mg/100 g DW), flavonoid (range, 531.71-812.37 mg/100 g DW), flavanone (range, 18.47-75.55 mg/100 g DW), anthocyanin (range, 92.23-281.57 mg/100 g FW) along with other traits. Furthermore, the highest quantity of abtioxidant and phenolic compounds were observed in complete fruit maturity stages (Black) compared to other maturity stages. There was a positive and significant association between antioxidant activity and phenolic compounds. Babolsar genotype with highest quantity of phenol (350.53 mg/100 g DW), anthocyanin (281.57 mg/100 g FW), flavanone (75.55 mg/100 g DW), flavonoids (812.37 mg/100 g DW) and lowest amount of IC50 (46.25 %) identified as the best genotype in terms of nutritional value.