Blackberry Sugar

Blackberry, just as its name implies, is an aggregate fruit made up of small drupelets that is black in colour. It is a member of the Rubus genus. Blackberry has commanded new attention from the public in this day and age when its benefits to human health are known. It is notable for its high proportions of phenolic bioactives compound along with antioxidant activities such as, anthocyanins and ellagitannins (ETs). The phytonutrient anthocyanin that present in a large amount in the skin of blackberries gives an explanation to why blackberries are black in color. Antioxidant capacities in blackberries are measured based on oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC).Also, blackberries are rich source of dietary fibre, essential mineral manganese

Moreover, a significant decline in glucose, triacylglycerols and cholesterol with a percentage of 48.6%, 43.5% and 28.6% respectively was found in the diabetic group treated with the highest dose of blackberry juice (25%) when compared to the diabetic group treated with water only. However, the biochemical parameters of kidney function did not affected by blackberry consumption. In addition, the plasma antioxidant capacity (PAC) values shown indicated that regularly consumption of blackberry promotes the antioxidant capacity to intermediate levels. This effect was distinct when the non-diabetic group that treated with blackberry beverage only lost their PAC in a percentage of around 4 to 5% compared to the non-diabetic group that treated with water which had lost 12% of their PAC. Although decrease in levels of lipid peroxidation in plasma and kidney to intermediate levels with a percentage of 7.5% and 19% respectively was observed in the diabetic group treated with 12.5% of blackberry beverage, but generally, the values are not statistically different if compared with the diabetic group treated only with water. In fact, the diabetic group treated with higher dose of blackberry beverage (25%) showed significantly different values in the reduction of lipid peroxidation levels with a percentage of 19% from the diabetic group

Out of the 13 blackberry cultivars, A1937, A2195 and Natchez consisted of the highest total soluble phenolic content with 1.7, 1.4 and 1.6 mg/g FW respectively in water extracts. On the contrary, in 12% ethanol extracts of blackberry cultivars, A2215, Natchez and Navaho showed greater soluble phenolic content with 2.1, 2.0 and 2.0 mg/g FW respectively. From here, it was clearly showed that by comparing 12% ethanol extracts of blackberry cultivars with water extracts , ethanol extracts had higher soluble phenolic compound with a difference of 0.14 to 0.78 mg/g FW measured. As for both ethanol (12%) and water extracts, Natchez and A2215 stood out from the rest by having the highest total soluble phenolic content. Next, among all blackberry extract, A2195 was found having the highest total antioxidant