Affiliations: [a]
Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Niš, Niš, Serbia
| [b]
Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Niš, Serbia
| [c]
Biomedical Research Centre, Faculty of Medicine, Niš, Serbia
| [d]
Institute for Medicinal Research “Dr. Josif Pančić”, Belgrade, Serbia
| [e] Faculty of Agriculture, University of Belgrade, Belgrade-Zemun, Serbia
| [f] Faculty of Medicine, University of Niš, Niš, Serbia
Correspondence:
[*]
Corresponding author: Dušanka Kitić, Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Niš, Dr. Zoran Djindjic blvd. 81, Niš, Serbia. Tel.: +381 62 328 036; E-mail: dusanka.kitic@medfak.ni.ac.rs.
Abstract: BACKGROUND:Black currants are berries that attract attention due to the beneficial effects they possess. They are proven to be good antioxidants, anticancerogenic, cardio- and neuroprotective agents. OBJECTIVE:The main objective of this research was to evaluate the differences in the flavonols composition, antioxidant and spasmolytic activity of juices obtained from four different black currant cultivars – Triton, Tenah, Ben Sarek, and Ometa, grown over a 4-year long period on the territory of Serbia. METHODS:The qualitative and quantitative determination of black currants juices flavonols was performed using the HPLC. The antioxidative activity was carried out in DPPH and β-carotene systems. The study examined the impact of the main black currants flavonols and black currants juices on the spontaneous, KCl, and acetylcholine-induced ileum smooth muscle contractions. RESULTS:The dominant flavonol in juices of the four different black currant cultivars was myricetin, with its highest content obtained from the 2015 Triton juice (820.1±34.7 μg g–1). Quercetin was the second in abundance and the lowest yields were observed in kaempferol. CONCLUSION:The investigated black currant cultivars were proven to be good sources of flavonols and potential antioxidants with the significant spasmolytic activity that could be successfully used in treating gastrointestinal disorders.
Keywords: Black currants, flavonols, myricetin, spasmolytic activity, juices
