The aim of this study was to examine the influence of shoot age on biological and chemical properties of 11 red currant cultivars (‘Jonkheer van Tets’, ‘Junifer’, ‘London Market’, ‘Makosta’, ‘Mirana’, ‘Redpoll’, ‘Rolan’, ‘Rondom’, ‘Rovada’, ‘Slovakia’ and ‘Stanza’) with different origins and ripening times. Phenological observations and pomological characteristics were studied and chemical analysis was conducted from 2013 to 2018 at experimental fields near Belgrade, Serbia. The total contents of phenols and anthocyanin were estimated spectrophotometrically, while quantitative analysis of anthocyanin aglycones was done using high-performance liquid chromatography. Three-year-old shoots had an earlier start of all examined phenological stages, better generative potential, higher yields, as well as higher total phenol and vitamin C contents in the fruits, compared with 2-year-old shoots, for all cultivars. The contents of total anthocyanins were higher in berries on younger shoots of early-ripening cultivars, while late-ripening cultivars had higher contents of total soluble solids and cyanidin in the berries on 3-year-old shoots. Principal component analysis demonstrated that the most important variables that distinguished 2-year-old shoots from 3-year-old shoots were those related to phenological data, cluster traits, total acids and yields. According to the obtained results, ‘Junifer’ (with the highest number of clusters), ‘Mirana’ (with the highest sugar content and sugar/acid ratio), ‘Redpoll’ (with the highest physical traits of cluster and berry), ‘Slovakia’ (with the highest yield and yield efficiency) and ‘Rovada’ (with the highest level of secondary metabolites) are recommended as the most promising cultivars for growing in the temperate region of Serbia.

The aim of this study was to examine the influence of shoot age on the biological and chemical properties of 13 black currant cultivars with different origins and ripening times. Phenological observations together with examined pomological and chemical characteristics were studied in two consecutive years at the experimental field near Belgrade, Serbia. The total content of phenols was estimated spectrophotometrically by the Folin-Ciocalteu method, while quantitative analysis of anthocyanin and flavonols aglycones was performed using a high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) method. Principal component analysis was performed to establish differences in biological and chemical properties of black currants. Three-year-old shoots had an earlier start of all examined phenological stages, better generative potential, higher yields, while clusters and berries from 2-year-old shoots had significantly higher values for physical properties, total phenols, anthocyanin and flavanols aglycones and antiradical capacity. Late ripening cultivars had higher contents of all chemical compounds. The berries on 2-year-old shoots had total phenolics that ranged between 123.0 (‘Titania’) and 298.3 mg/100 g fresh weight (FW) (‘Ometa’), while total anthocyanins ranged between 398.5 (’Ojebyn’) and 1160.8 mg/kg FW (’Ometa’). According to the obtained results, cultivars ‘Ometa’, ‘Ben Lomond’, ‘Tsema’ and ‘Malling Juel’ can be recommended as the most promising for growing in the continental climate because they stood out with higher generative potential and yield, physical traits of cluster and berry, higher level of primary and secondary metabolites and DPPH activity in their berries.

Research background. Considering the importance of consumption of berry fruits with proven health-beneficial properties and difficulties in quality control of products of specific botanical and geographic origin, a fingerprint method was developed, based on advanced data analysis (pattern recognition, classification), in order to relate the variability of nutrients in the selected cultivars to primary metabolite profile. Experimental approach. Forty-five samples of genuine berry fruit cultivars (strawberry, raspberry, blackberry, black currant, blueberry, gooseberry, chokeberry, cape gooseberry and goji berry) were characterized according to chromatographic profiles of primary metabolites (sugars, lipids and fatty acids) obtained by three chromatographic techniques (high-performance thin-layer chromatography, gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry, and high-performance anion-exchange chromatography with pulsed amperometric detection). Results and conclusions. Comprehensive analysis allowed monitoring and identification of metabolites belonging to polar lipids, mono-, di- and triacylglycerols, free fatty acids, free sterols, sterol esters, mono- to heptasaccharides and sugar alcohols. Chemical fingerprint of berry seeds showed the uniformity of primary metabolites within each fruit species, but revealed differences depending on the botanical origin. All three chromatographic methods provided a discriminative, informative and predictive metabolomics methodology, which proved to be useful for chemotaxonomic classification. Novelty and scientific contribution. A novel methodology for the identification of bioactive compounds from primary metabolites of natural products was described. The proposed untargeted metabolite profiling approach could be used in the future as a routine method for tracing of novel bioactive compounds. The knowledge of metabolite composition obtained in this study can provide a better assessment of genotypic and phenotypic differences between berry fruit species and varieties, and could contribute to the development of new breeding programs.

The study examined the influence of five vegetative rootstocks on the flower bud sensitivity to frost during the period of ecological dormancy and the most important biological and pomological properties of the ?Carmen? sweet cherry cultivar. The ?Carmen? cultivar was grafted on the following rootstocks: ?Colt?, ?Gisela 5?, ?Gisela 6?, ?MaxMa 14? and ?Oblacinska cherry?. Winter frosts occurred during the ecological dormancy of sweet cherry trees. The intensity of frost was between -5?C and -7?C. The percentage of damaged and non-damaged flower buds per fruiting branch was determined by counting (50 flower buds per tree were taken from every part of the canopy and fruiting branches). The highest rate of damage of flower buds was in trees grafted on ?Oblacinska cherry?, an average of 77.2% of flower buds, while the lowest was observed in trees grafted on ?MaxMa 14?, an average of 24.3% of total flower buds. The significantly higher sensitivity of flower buds was found in spur fruiting branches compared to lateral fruiting branches. The fruits of the ?Carmen? cultivar had the earliest ripening on rootstocks ?Gisela 5? and ?Oblacinska cherry?. The ?Carmen? cultivar had the highest yield per tree on the ?MaxMa 14? rootstock, while the lowest yield rate was observed in ?Oblacinska cherry?, 5.4 kg and 1.9 kg, respectively. The highest mass of fruits was noticed in trees grafted on ?Gisela 6?, an average of 11.6 g, while the smallest was recorded in trees grafted on ?Gisela 5?- an average of 9.4 g.