Sweet cherries are one of the most popular spring-summer fruit species and mainly consumed as a fresh table fruit. It is known that sweet cherry have a various antioxidants and one of its major phenolic antioxidant is anthocyanins. In fact, anthocyanins show one of the strongest antioxidant activities among phenolic compounds.
Anthocyanins are responsible for the red, blue and purple color of some flower and fruits and have been described as potent antioxidants.
Anthocyanin accumulation in the skin and flesh of red cherries begin several weeks before harvest. The ripening in process is characterized by color changes, from green to red which are due to accumulation and prolife of anthocyanins. Red color intensity in sweet cherry is used as an indicator of quality and ripening of fresh sweet cherry.
The anthocyanin content of cherries is compared to that of other plants foods evidence has suggested health –promoting effects related to their anthocyanin content.
A study has demonstrated a positive linear relationship between the level of anthocyanins in cherries and the degree of protection from oxidative stress in neuronal cells (J. Agric Food Chem 199;47: 840-4).
The amount of anthocyanins varies widely between types of fruits. Even though level of anthocyanin in tart cherries have been found to exceed those in sweet cherries and other fruits sweet cherries, particularly Jerte Valley cherries, have been reported to present melatonin precursors – molecules with potent antioxidant activity – which may contribute to an increase in the potential biologic properties of these cherries.
Anthocyanins in sweet cherries
