There is a strong emphasis emerging in the fields of food chemistry applications relating to the identification and quantification of polyphenolic compounds such as anthocyanins and flavonoids in “superfoods”. Berries are known for their high phenolic content, as well as their high antioxidative capabilities. Blackberries, blueberries, and raspberries were selected for advanced polyphenolic extraction and characterization due to their overall popularity and accessibility when compared to other high phenolic-rich fruits. The development of experimental methods for the extraction and separation of polyphenols was performed. Characterization of these polyphenols was analyzed using IR and UV-Vis spectroscopy. Total phenolic content was calculated from the extracted berries using a Folins-Ciocalteu reagent method. Blueberries were found to have the highest phenolic content at 3.58 mg/mL, followed by raspberries, and blackberries at 1.89, and 0.87 mg/mL respectively. An enzymatic binding study was developed using UV-Vis spectroscopy to determine if there were interactions between the berry extracts and the digestive enzymes and spectral shifts were observed. This experimental protocol and results from this study will be implemented in an upper-level instrumental analysis course for biochemistry and chemistry majors.

Analyzing and characterizing polyphenol extracts from berries using experimental and computational methods

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