Cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon L.) fruit juice from Serbia: UHPLC- DAD-MS/MS characterization, antibacterial and antioxidant activities

Abstract Cranberry fruit (Vaccinium macrocarpon L., Ericaceae) is a valuable material for the production of juices and other fruit products, quite popular among consumers in Serbia. Different types of cranberry juice are produced in Serbia and other countries, but the chemical composition, as well as the antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of juices depend on both the used technology and the region in which cranberries are grown. Within this study, the screening of bioactive components found in cranberry juice from Serbia was performed by the UHPLC-DAD-MS/MS method, as well as the determination of its antibacterial and antioxidant activities. The juice was obtained by cold-pressing of ripe cranberry fruit grown in Serbia and enriched with sugar. Among the seventeen identified compounds, the most common were phenolic compounds and hexoses, followed by organic acids. The antibacterial activity of the juice was assessed by the disc diffusion method against Listeria monocytogenes, Enterococcus faecalis, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Salmonella enteritidis, Klebsiella pneumonia, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The DPPH test was used to determine the antioxidant effect. The cold-pressed cranberry juice showed higher antibacterial activity against Gram-positive bacteria. The obtained results will be useful in promoting further progress and development of cranberry cultivation and processing in Serbia.