Saskatoon berries (Amelanchier alnifolia Nutt.) scavenge free radicals and inhibit intracellular oxidation

Two cultivars (Thiessen and Smoky) of Saskatoon berries (Amelanchier alnifolia Nutt.) possess free radical scavenging activities in a concentration-dependent manner, whereas Thiessen presented higher (p < 0.05) activity compared to Smoky due to its relatively abundant anthocyanin content. Total anthocyanin content significantly corresponded to free radical scavenging activities (p < 0.05). Solvent fractionation revealed that the free radical scavenging components, i.e., anthocyanin, predominantly occurred in the ethyl acetate and n-butanol extracted fractions, suggesting that active components are more likely to occur in glycoside forms. HPLC further confirmed the existence of cyanidin-3-O-galactoside and cyanidin-3-O-glucoside as leading anthocyanins in the Saskatoon berries. Furthermore, Saskatoon berries extracts from both cultivars suppressed peroxy-radical induced intracellular oxidation in a concentration-dependent manner without affecting cell viability. The obtained results provided useful information for the future application of Saskatoon berries in the nutraceutical industry.