Abstract
RESEARCH BACKGROUND: The rowan (Sorbus aucuparia L.) is a small tree in the Rosaceae family with characteristic orange-red fruits. The raw fruits can be used for making jams, juices and puree, while the dried fruits are used for teas. In folk medicine, they have been used to prevent scurvy and bleeding or as a diuretic and laxative. The aim of this study is to characterize the proximate chemical composition, antioxidant potential and macro- and trace elements of the rowan fruits for their potential use as a functional food. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH: The fruits were collected from 12 populations in the Alpine-Dinaric region of Croatia. After collection, the samples were transported to the laboratory, cut into small pieces, placed in plastic containers and stored at -20 °C until analysis. Proximate chemical composition, including ash, water, cellulose, crude fat and crude protein, was determined according to standard methods and total carbohydrates as non-structural carbohydrates. Total phenolic content (TPC) and antioxidant capacity (TAC) were also measured. For multielement analysis, fruits were cleaned from the dust, lyophilised, homogenised and acid-digested in a microwave system. Concentrations of elements were determined using the inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: The basic constituents in the analysed fruits were (in %): water 76.53, total carbohydrates 17.45, crude proteins 2.98, crude fats 1.49, cellulose 1.07 and ash 1.29. On average, the TPC was 932 mg/100 g and the TAC was (60.1±14.5) % and (4.1±1.2) mmol/100 g, determined by DPPH and FRAP assay, respectively. Mass fractions of elements decreased as follows (in mg/kg): K 2485>Ca 459>P 206, Mg 193>Na 6.29>Fe 3.68>Mn 3.58>Zn 1.11>Cu 0.731>Mo 0.098>Co 0.003>Se 0.001. Compared to the literature, the phenolic and element content of the rowan fruits is similar to that of blueberry and raspberry. The obtained results suggest that rowan fruits have valuable nutritional properties and could be useful for fortification in the food industry. NOVELTY AND SCIENTIFIC CONTRIBUTION: The importance of the obtained results is reflected in filling in the gaps in the literature on the composition of elements, especially on the content of essential macro- and trace elements as well as the antioxidant potential of rowan fruits.