Determination of Antioxidant Capacities and Biochemical Compounds of Berberis vulgaris L. Fruits

Research on biochemical properties of Berberis vulgaris which has diverse usage areas has increased the popularity of this plant. In this study, antioxidant properties, organic acid contents and phenolic compound contents of Berberis vulgaris fruits naturally grown in Gevaş Region (Van Province/Turkey) were determined. With respect to organic acids, malic acid content was found as 1.862 g/kg, citric acid content as 1.253 g kg, tartaric acid content as 0.702 g kg and succinic acid content as 0.086 g kg in the study. The content of chlorogenic acid was the highest among phenolic compounds which was found as 0.752 g kg. The antioxidant capacity of the barberry fruits was determined as 8.731 μmol TE g in the study. Due to their high antioxidant capacity and content of biochemical compounds, barberries are considered as valuable fruits.