Chemical characterization and antioxidant capacity of berries from Clidemia rubra (Aubl.) Mart. (Melastomataceae) André Gordon a , Benjamin Schadow a , Clara E. Quijano b , Friedhelm Marx a, ⁎ a University of Bonn, Department of Nutrition and Food Sciences, Endenicher Allee 11-13, 53115 Bonn, Germany b Universidad de los Andes, Facultad de Ciencias, Dpto. de Química, Cra. 1 a Este No. 18-A-10 Edif. (Q-826), Bogotá, Colombia abstract article info Article history: Received 15 September 2010 Accepted 4 January 2011 Keywords: Clidemia rubra Melastomataceae TOSC Antioxidant capacity Flavonoids Anthocyanins The flora of Latin America attracts gaining interest as it provides a plethora of still unexplored or under-utilized fruits that can contribute to human well-being due to their nutritional value and their content of bioactive compounds. Clidemia rubra (Aubl.) Mart. is a shrub belonging to the family of the Melastomataceae that grows preferably in a tropical climate. This paper comprises a nutritional characterization of the berries from Clidemia rubra and provides data on the phenolic compounds as well as the antioxidant capacity of the fruit. Findings in macronutrients like protein, carbohydrates, and fat were comparable to that of common berry fruits. Clidemia rubra berries seemed to be a good source for dietary fibers and some minerals (Ca, Mn, and Zn). In contrast, contents of titratable acids and ascorbic acid were low. The polyphenolic profile was determined by using HPLC- MS/MS in comparison to standard compounds. Noteworthy amounts of cyanidin 3-O-rutinoside (39.43 ± 1.66 mg/100 g fresh weight (FW)), delphinidin 3-O-rutinoside (23.74±1.18 mg/100 g FW), cyanidin 3-O- glucoside (11.68±0.56 mg/100 g FW), and delphinidin 3-O-glucoside (6.08±0.35 mg/100 g FW) were found. Non-anthocyanin phenolic constituents were phenolic acids (gallic, protocatechuic, p-hydroxy-benzoic, vanillic, and caffeic acid), flavan-3-ols (epigallocatechin, epigallocatechin gallate, and epicatechin gallate), and 11 different myricetin and quercetin derivatives of which quercetin 3-O-arabinoside (5.26 ± 0.16 mg/100 g FW) and quercetin 3-O-rhamnoside (5.06±0.08 mg/100 g FW) were dominating. Anthocyanins and ascorbic acid were mainly responsible for the antioxidant capacity of Clidemia rubra berries assessed with the total oxidant scavenging capacity (TOSC) assay. © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. 1. Introduction There is considerable epidemiological evidence that a diet rich in fruits and vegetables reduces the risk of developing degenerative diseases like cardiovascular disorders (Wang, Melnyk, Tsao, & Marcone, 2010), Alzheimer's disease (Singh, Arseneault, Sanderson, Murthy, & Ramassamy, 2008), and cancer (Hertog, Feskens, Hollman, & Katan, 1994). Especially berry fruits are a rich source of antioxidant compounds like vitamin C and polyphenols that have been implicated in promoting these protective effects (Szajdek, & Borowska, 2008). Due to the significant health benefits of bioactive compounds in berry fruits, there has been gaining interest in recent years in exploring new and exotic types of berries (Schreckinger, Lotton, Lila, & Gonzalez de Mejia, 2010). A large number of under-utilized exotic fruit species are of special interest to the agroindustry and may potentially supple- ment the income of the local population. However, only limited information is available on the nutritional value and polyphenolic content of many exotic species (Contreras-Calderón, Calderón-Jaimes, Guerra-Hernández, & García-Villanova, 2010). Clidemia rubra is a shrub belonging to the family of Melastomataceae (Krasser, 1893). The bluish or black colored berries are of oval shape and 4–5 mm in diameter (Standley & Williams, 1963). Like all species of Melastomataceae, Clidemia rubra prefers a warm, tropical climate (Raffauf, 1996). The growth area extends in Central America from Oaxaca in Mexico to Panama. In South America it is mainly scattered in the northern part of the continent like Columbia, Ecuador, Venezuela, French-Guiana, whereas different varieties can also be found in Bolivia and in the south of Brazil (Gleason, 1939; Naudin, 1849). The edible and juicy fruits (Hanelt, 2001; Standley & Williams, 1963) of Clidemia rubra are either collected from wild growing plants or cultivated in greenhouses (Krasser, 1893) before they are offered at local markets (Ternes, Täufel, Tunger, & Zobel, 2005). Usually, the berries are eaten fresh (Krasser, 1893). Literature about the family of Melastomataceae is generally scarce. To our knowledge, there is no information available on the distribution of nutrients and phenolic compounds in Clidemia rubra. This work will give a first appraisal of the characterization of primary and secondary plant compounds as well as the antioxidant activity of its berry fruits. Food Research International 44 (2011) 2120–2127 ⁎ Corresponding author. Department of Nutrition and Food Sciences, University of Bonn, Endenicher Allee 11-13, 53115 Bonn, Germany. Tel.: +49 228 733713; fax: +49 228 733757. E-mail address: f.marx@uni-bonn.de (F. Marx). 0963-9969/$ – see front matter © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.foodres.2011.01.015 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Food Research International journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/foodres