High-performance liquid chromatography analysis of black currant (Ribes nigrum L.) fruit phenolics grown either conventionally or organically

Black currants (Ribes nigrum L.) contain a diverse range of phenolics and possess a high antioxidant activity, which makes them an interesting target for the functional food industry. In this study, phenolic profiles of organically and conventionally grown black currant fruits, collected from commercial farms within a climatically similar area, were compared. Compounds were identified using UV/vis and mass spectroscopy techniques and quantified with high-performance liquid chromatography equipped with UV/vis detection. Several different conjugates of hydroxycinnamic acids, flavonols, and anthocyanins were quantified. Statistically significant differences between farms were found for almost all compounds. Differences between the highest and the lowest measured values of major phenolic compounds of different phenolic classes ranged from 24 to 77%. Principal component analysis quite effectively separated farms from each other but did not cluster them according to cultivation technique. Thus, it was concluded that the biochemical quality of organically grown black currant fruits does not differ from those grown conventionally.