Chemical composition of various Vaccinium spp. and similar blue-coloured berries

Various species of the Vaccinium genus (V. corymbosum, VC; V. myrtillus, VM) are regularly subjected to adulteration with similar, blue-coloured berries such as Amelanchier alnifolia (AA) or Lonicera caerulea (LC). Thirty-one berry samples were tested to determine and verify their basic chemical composition and profile of anthocyanins. Saccharose and sorbitol were detected only in AA (at levels of 5.2 +/- 9.1 g.kg(-1) and 25.7 +/- 1.4 g.kg(-1), respectively) and LC (at levels of 45.2 +/- 0.1 g.kg(-1) and 45.3 +/- 0.1 g.kg(-1), respectively). Quinic acid was present in all analysed berries and reached the highest content in VM (6.6 +/- 1.4 g.kg(-1)). Isocitric acid was a typical compound found in VC (46.1 +/- 14.4 mg.kg(-1)) and LC (63.4 +/- 9.2 mg.kg(-1)). The highest ash and potassium content were found in AA, reaching levels of 9.1 +/- 1.2 g.kg(-1) and 3 213.2 +/- 177.7 mg.kg(-1), respectively. Delphinidin-3-arabinoside (56.7 %), cyanidin-3-glucoside (82.3 %) and malvidin-3-galactoside (29.2 %) were identified as dominant anthocyanins in AA, LC and VC, respectively. Conversely, delphinidin-3-glucoside (15.0 %), petunidin-3-glucoside (10.4 %) and peonidin-3-glucoside (4.8 %) were found in VM in significantly higher amounts than in other species.