Characterisation of elderberry fruits

This master's thesis deals with the characterization of elderberry fruit (Sambucus nigra L.) with emphasis on the aroma active compounds (AAC) and vitamin C (ascorbic acid (AA), dehydroascorbic acid (DHA)). The theoretical part gives a brief outlook on the chemical composition and attributes of Sambucus berries, its healing properties and the means of processing. The rest of the theoretical part thoroughly examines the AAC and vitamin C. The suitable assessment methods are also discussed. The experimental part of the work consists of two main tasks. The first one was to assess the aroma profile of Sambucus berries using the HS-SPME-GC-FID. 18 samples were examined (the wild elderberry and 17 cultivated varieties). In total, 24 different volatile aroma active compounds were identified and quantified, 12 of which belonged to alcohols, 5 to aldehydes, 4 to esters, 1 to acids and 2 “other” compounds (linalool and -damascenone). The chemical composition of the individual samples was not uniform; no single sample contained all of the identified compounds. The second task was to assess the total vitamin C content (the sum of DHA and AA) using the HPLC. For the purpose of reducing DHA to AA three reducing agents were examined (DTT, TCEP and L-cysteine) at two different pH levels (7 and 4). TCEP at pH 4 turned out to be most efficient and was subsequently applied on the samples of 5 selected elderberry varieties. The measured vitamin C content was within the range of 5,1 – 13,0 mg per 100 g of fruit