Contribution of phenolic compounds, ascorbic acid and vitamin E to antioxidant activity of currant (Ribes L.) and gooseberry (Ribes uva-crispa L.) fruits.
Orsavová J, Hlaváčová I, Mlček J, Snopek L, Mišurcová L.
Food Chem. 2019 Jun 30;284:323-333. doi: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2019.01.072.

High content analysis of sea buckthorn, black chokeberry, red and white currants microbiota - A pilot study.
Lukša J, Vepštaitė-Monstavičė I, Yurchenko V, Serva S, Servienė E.
Food Res Int. 2018 Sep;111:597-606. doi: 10.1016/j.foodres.2018.05.060.

Red/Green Currant and Sea Buckthorn Berry Press Residues as Potential Sources of Antioxidants for Food Use.
Puganen A, Kallio HP, Schaich KM, Suomela JP, Yang B.
J Agric Food Chem. 2018 Apr 4;66(13):3426-3434. doi: 10.1021/acs.jafc.8b00177.

Colonic fermentation of polyphenols from Chilean currants (Ribes spp.) and its effect on antioxidant capacity and metabolic syndrome-associated enzymes.
Burgos-Edwards A, Jiménez-Aspee F, Theoduloz C, Schmeda-Hirschmann G.
Food Chem. 2018 Aug 30;258:144-155. doi: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2018.03.053.

Polyphenol metabolism in differently colored cultivars of red currant (Ribes rubrum L.) through fruit ripening.
Zorenc Z, Veberic R, Koron D, Miosic S, Hutabarat OS, Halbwirth H, Mikulic-Petkovsek M.
Planta. 2017 Aug;246(2):217-226. doi: 10.1007/s00425-017-2670-3.

Qualitative and quantitative changes in polyphenol composition and bioactivity of Ribes magellanicum and R. punctatum after in vitro gastrointestinal digestion.
Burgos-Edwards A, Jiménez-Aspee F, Thomas-Valdés S, Schmeda-Hirschmann G, Theoduloz C.
Food Chem. 2017 Dec 15;237:1073-1082. doi: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2017.06.060.

Antioxidant capacities and anthocyanin characteristics of the black-red wild berries obtained in Northeast China.
Feng C, Su S, Wang L, Wu J, Tang Z, Xu Y, Shu Q, Wang L.
Food Chem. 2016 Aug 1;204:150-8. doi: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2016.02.122.

Variation in the fatty-acid content in seeds of various black, red, and white currant varieties.
Šavikin KP, Ðorđević BS, Ristić MS, Krivokuća-Ðokić D, Pljevljakušić DS, Vulić T.
Chem Biodivers. 2013 Jan;10(1):157-65. doi: 10.1002/cbdv.201200223

Red currant (Ribes rubrum L.) belongs to the Grossulariaceae family, such as whitecurrants, blackcurrants and gooseberries, and is presented in clusters of small ruby red pearls. In the Mediterranean regions it ripens in August and is a small plant that reaches a height of one and a half metres.

There are about 150 species belonging to the Ribes genus.

Red currant mainly contains Vitamin C and the average quantity varies from 50.5 to 71.6 mg per 100 grams. Polyphenols, anthocyanins and ascorbic acid are present in good quantities (1).

It also contains other vitamins and minerals, but in considerably lower quantities than Vitamin C.

The total content of phenolic compounds is between 10% and 19%, while anthocyanins, antioxidant substances therefore useful for health, are about 12% of the total (2).

The major antioxidant phenolic component is cyanidin-3-glucoside, followed by quercetin (3).

Red currant studies

References__________________________________________________

(1) Biochemical properties of red currant varieties in relation to storage.
Djordjević B, Savikin K, Zdunić G, Janković T, Vulić T, Oparnica C, Radivojević D.
Plant Foods Hum Nutr. 2010 Dec;65(4):326-32. doi: 10.1007/s11130-010-0195-z.

(2) Effects of latitude and weather conditions on phenolic compounds in currant (Ribes spp.) cultivars.   -   Yang B, Zheng J, Laaksonen O, Tahvonen R, Kallio H.   -   J Agric Food Chem. 2013 Apr 10;61(14):3517-32. doi: 10.1021/jf4000456.

(3) Extractability of polyphenols from black currant, red currant and gooseberry and their antioxidant activity.  aczkó-Zöld E, Komlósi A, Ülkei T, Fogarasi E, Croitoru M, Fülöp I, Domokos E, Ştefănescu R, Varga E.  Acta Biol Hung. 2018 Jun;69(2):156-169. doi: 10.1556/018.69.2018.2.5.