Polyphenol profile and antioxidant activity of the fruit and leaf of Vaccinium glaucoalbum from the Tibetan Himalayas

•Polyphenols of V. glaucoalbum from Tibetan Himalayas were reported.•Twenty-four compounds were detected and identified from fruit and leaf.•The TAC of fruit was the highest among wild Vaccinium berries in China.•The leaf possessed higher TPC and antioxidant activity over fruit.•The fruit was of great potential as a new source of functional food.

Vaccinium glaucoalbum, a perennial evergreen shrub, is naturally distributed in high-altitude areas. In this study, the composition and content of polyphenolic compounds in the fruit and leaf of V. glaucoalbum were characterized. In total, 24 chemical compounds were detected and identified by HPLC-DAD and HPLC-ESI-MS2. Among all the compounds determined, 15 were anthocyanins and detected in fruit, 5 were flavonols and monitored in leaf, and 4 were chlorogenic acids and found in both fruit and leaf. The total anthocyanin content (TAC) of fruit (682 mg/100 g FW) was the highest among wild Vaccinium berries in China which have been investigated for now, and the total flavonol content of leaf was 2764 mg/100 g FW. The antioxidant activity of both fruit and leaf was assessed by DPPH and FRAP assays. Given its high TAC and strong antioxidant activity, the fruit of V. glaucoalbum has great potential in functional food.