RECOVERY OF PHENOLIC COMPOUNDS FROM WILD BILBERRY, BLACKCURRANT AND BLACKBERRY POMACES BY MACERATION AND ULTRASOUNDASSISTED EXTRACTION.

Wild bilberry, blackcurrant and blackberry fruit pomaces obtained after industrial juice processing were extracted in water, 1% citric acid, 40%, 60% and 80% (v/v) aqueous ethanol using two extraction methods: maceration and ultrasound-assisted extraction. The total phenolics content (TPC), total anthocyanins content (TAC), and DPPH radical scavenging activity (RSA) were quantified in the extracts. TPC was about 2.3-3.2 times higher in ethanolic extracts as compared with the water extracts. The extracts made in 60% aqueous ethanol showed the highest values of TPC, TAC and RSA irrespective of extraction method and pomace matrix while water and 1% aqueous citric acid were very little effective in recovering anthocyanins and phenolic compounds. Bilberry pomace extracts made in 60% ethanol using maceration presented the highest TAC (585.21 mg CGE/L), TPC (3381.82 mg GAE/L) and RSA (2.05 mmol Trolox/l). The results showed that bilberry, blackcurrant and blackberry fruit pomaces can be a valuable source of bioactive compounds to be used in food supplements and functional foods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]