Comprehensive Evaluation of Quality and Antioxidant Capacity of Highbush Blueberries (Vaccinium corymbosum)

Blueberries, widely recognized for their antioxidant capacity, have driven rapid growth in China's blueberry industry owing to their significant health benefits and economic value. However, a comprehensive evaluation for blueberry quality traits and antioxidant capacity remains lacking in China's domestic research. This study systematically evaluated 26 highbush blueberry cultivars with consistent tree age and cultivation practices, which can better reflect cultivar-dependent trait variation. Key findings revealed Earliblue exhibited the highest soluble solid content (SSC) and the lowest titratable acidity (TA), while Bluechip had the most abundant vitamin C (VC). Glucose and fructose were the main components of soluble sugars in highbush blueberries, accounting for over 97% of the total sugars. Citric acid was the dominant organic acid in nearly all cultivars. Malvidin 3-<i>O</i>-galactoside, delphinidin 3-<i>O</i>-galactoside, delphinidin 3-<i>O</i>-arabinoside, malvidin 3-<i>O</i>-arabinoside and petunidin 3-<i>O</i>-galactoside were the most abundant anthocyanins. The 26 blueberry cultivars were graded into high-, medium- and low-anthocyanin content groups. Correlation analysis divided the 14 anthocyanins into two types: antioxidant-related anthocyanins and other anthocyanins. The five cultivars with the highest comprehensive evaluation scores were Sunrise, Bluegold, Elliott, Amblue and Briteblue. These results may establish empirical selection criteria for the selection and efficient utilization of high-quality blueberry cultivars.