Antioxidant activity of wild-growing fruit and berry raw materials

The aim of the study is to investigate the anatomical and morphological structure, chemical composition and properties of fruit and berry raw materials of the Far East as components for enriching food products with biologically active substances. The studies were conducted from 2015 to 2024, average values are presented. Standard methods were used to assess the quality and composition. The studied crops are characterized by high biological activity – actinidia kolomikta in terms of vitamin C content (over 150 mg/100 g), dikusha and pechal'naya currant in terms of total antioxidant activity (over 800 mg/100 g) and vitamins C (45–65 mg/100 g), B1, B2 (30–42 mg/100 g). Amur barberry is comparable to lingonberry in antioxidant activity (over 400 mg/100 g) and exceeds it in vitamin C content (48 mg/100 g). Significant pro-perties that often limit its widespread use in the diet are its taste characteristics, specifically its excessive acidity. With similar titratable acidity (2.25–3.0 %), some berries, such as lingonberry, cranberry, Viburnum bureyica, and Viburnum sargentiana, have low active acidity (pH 4.0–4.9 units), while blueberries have a pH one unit higher. Given their low carbohydrate accumulation, the sugar-acid index of most berries and fruits does not exceed 5, which correlates with a predominantly sour taste. The obtained results demon-strate the high potential of wild berries and fruits for use in the food industry to create functional products with pronounced antioxidant properties. This study highlights the importance of wild-growing raw materials as a promising source of natural antioxidants for improving human health.