Abstract
Sour cherry (Prunus cerasus), Laurel cherry (Prunus lauracerasus), and Cornelian cherry (Cornus mas) fruits are widely used in Turkey, both as food and as traditional medicines. The phytochemical composition and antioxidant capacities of these three cherry types were compared. Fruit flesh was evaluated for procyanidin concentration, subunit composition and degree of polymerization, for anthocyanin composition and for total antioxidant capacity, total phenolic content and total flavonoid content. High concentrations (up to 1 g per 100 g dry weight) of long-chain procyanidins were found in Laurel cherry, whereas concentrations of procyanidins in Cornelian cherry were 25 times lower. Surprisingly, Sour cherry (0.3 g/100 g DW) had a dramatically different procyanidin profile which was dominated by short polymers, with an average chain length of 4 monomer units. This is of particular interest since short-chain procyanidins have recently been suggested to play a role in the prevention of coronary heart disease.