Abstract. Six cultivars of blueberry: ‘Earliblue’, ‘Patriot’, ‘Bluecrop’, ‘Duke’, ‘Darrow’ and ‘Lateblue’ were evaluated in 2005 and 2006, with respect to antioxidant content. The most significant effect on the constituent tested exhibited the growing season, as compared with cultivar. ‘Earliblue’ exhibited the highest and ‘Bluecrop’ the lowest antioxidant activity of fresh berries.

The antioxidant potential of blueberry fruits:
year and cultivar variation

Summary

The effect of cultivar and growing season on some subgroup of phenolics, total antioxidant activity (FRAP assay) as well as weight of blueberry fruit were investigated. Six cultivars: ‘Earliblue’, ‘Patriot’, ‘Bluecrop’, ‘Duke’, ‘Darrow’ and ‘Lateblue’ were evaluated in 2005 and 2006. The influence of cultivar and growing season on the tested constituent, at a very high probability level, were statistically proved. The most significant effect (an exception was weight of fruits) exhibited the growing season, as compared with cultivar. ‘Earliblue’ was characterized by the highest and ‘Bluecrop’ by the lowest antioxidant activity of fresh berries. The lowest differences between the growing season, with simultaneously high antioxidant content and total antioxidant activity exhibited ‘Duke’.