Our investigation was based on a molecular study of the genetic relationships among raspberry genotypes collected around selected medieval castles, Carthusian monasteries and nearby villages. We assumed that the hypothetical medieval raspberry genotypes could be traced to isolated medieval settlements that used to be highly prosperous during the feudal era but were later abandoned. Some of these genotypes could have survived in natural conditions without seed multiplication for at least three centuries. The molecular genetic analysis was based on microsatellite data. A total of 155 alleles were detected at 18 microsatellite loci. The clustering method grouped the analysed genotypes into seven main clusters. The analyses indicated that the most probable medieval genotypes had been collected around the ruins of two abandoned Carthusian monasteries: Zice and Jurkloster. They were morphologically very similar, vigorous and primitive but obviously not wild genotypes. The plants could be more than 2.3 m high, the canes were medium waxy, the lower and upper parts of the canes were covered by sparse short spines, the mid part was more or less completely smooth, the fully developed leaves were 15–25 cm long and the inflorescences were loose. In addition, the flowers were relatively small, the fruit setting was poor and the fruits were small, ovoid to conical and more aromatic than those of modern cultivars.

Introduction. The fruit types such as raspberries (Rubus idaeus), cherries (Prunus cerasus), blackberries (Rubus fructicosus), blackthorns (Prunus spinosa) and aronia (Aronia melanocarpa) are very common in Serbia. These fruit species are a valuable source of antioxidants. The goal of our work was to evaluate the antioxidant activities of ethyl acetate extracts of these five berries and to establish possible correlation between the content of anthocyanin and the antioxidant activity. Materials and methods. To determine antioxidant activity of the selected fruits, the DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) radical scavenging activity, the ABTS (2,2-azinobis-3 ethyl benzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) cation decolorization activity, the FRAP (ferric reducing antioxidant power), and the TRP (total reducing power) were measured. Results. The four methods selected for our assays showed strong antioxidant properties for blackberry samples. The total anthocyanin content was estimated using the pH differential method. The highest amount of anthocyanin was found in blackberry samples [(1063.53 ± 0.01) mg·kg–1 fresh fruit], while the lowest was in raspberry samples [(180.84 ± 0.02) mg·kg–1 fresh fruit]. The correlation between the content of anthocyanin and antioxidant activity was established using regression analysis. The highest correlation was found between total reducing power and total anthocyanin (r = 0.97, p < 0.05). Hierarchical cluster analysis divided selected fruit species into two statistically significant clusters. Conclusion. Our results confirmed that analyzed berries are rich in anthocyanins. A strong correlation among different assays as well as with anthocyanin content was observed. Cluster analysis can be used in food science, to classify different food types into groups, based on similarity among the results.

Introduction. Raspberry is an economically important berry crop; its fruit contains numerous phenolic compounds with potential health benefits. It is known that the chemical content of the fruit is affected by processing factors, but limited information is available on the influence of production factors or impact of genotypes. Materials and methods. The raspberry cultivars tested in our study were Autumn Bliss, Batum, Heritage, Polana (red fruits) and Golden Bliss (yellow fruits); a hybrid boysenberry and a black raspberry (black fruits). The plants were grown in two subtropical areas in Brazil. Harvested fruits were used to determine the contents of bioactive compounds (anthocyanins, ascorbic acid, β-carotene, lycopene and total phenols), antioxidant activity and mineral composition (nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, sulfur, boron, copper, manganese, zinc and iron). Results. Our results revealed a strong influence of the site on the parameters evaluated and indicated the existence of variation among the cultivars. In general, colored raspberries are a rich source of nutrients, especially nitrogen, potassium, iron and manganese, and contain significant amounts of bioactive compounds.

The preference-performance hypothesis has principally considered insect herbivores with aboveground lifecycles, although the hypothesis could be equally relevant to insects with life stages occurring both aboveground and belowground. Moreover, most studies have focussed on either laboratory or field experiments, with little attempt to relate the two. In this study, the preference-performance hypothesis was examined in an aboveground-belowground context in the laboratory using the vine weevil (Otiorhynchus sulcatus (F.)) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) and two cultivars of red raspberry (Rubus idaeus), Glen Rosa and Glen Ample. A two-year field study (2008–2009) was also undertaken to characterise the population dynamics of adult weevils on the two raspberry cultivars. Larval performance (abundance and mass) differed significantly between Glen Rosa and Glen Ample, with Glen Rosa resulting in 26% larger but 56% fewer larvae compared to Glen Ample. Larval abundances were significantly and positively correlated with root nitrogen and magnesium concentrations, but negatively correlated with root iron. However, concentrations of these minerals were not significantly different in the two cultivars. Adult weevils did not preferentially select either of the two cultivars for egg laying (laying 3.08 and 2.80 eggs per day on Glen Ample and Glen Rosa, respectively), suggesting that there was no strong preference-performance relationship between adult vine weevils and their belowground offspring. Field populations of adult vine weevils were significantly higher on Glen Ample than Glen Rosa, which may reflect the higher larval survival on Glen Ample observed in laboratory experiments.