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Iridoid Glycosides as Key Discriminators of Cranberry ( Vaccinium macrocarpon ) Cultivars Revealed by UHPLC–HRAM-MSn Metabolomics

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon) contains diverse hydrophilic phytochemicals, but their compositional profiles and cultivar-specific variation have not been comprehensively characterized. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to profile hydrophilic metabolites in cranberry cultivars and identify constituents that differentiate among cultivars. METHODS: Water-eluted fractions of Sephadex® LH-20-separated cranberry extracts from six cultivars (Crimson Queen, Demoranville, Haines, Mullica Queen, Stevens, and Welker) were analyzed using ultra-HPLC-high-resolution accurate-mass tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-HRAM-MSn). Metabolites were annotated based on accurate mass and MS2 fragmentation data and comparison with literature reports. Sparse partial least-squares discriminant analysis (sPLS-DA) was applied to assess classification performance and identify discriminative features. RESULTS: Thirty-nine putative hydrophilic metabolites were identified, including hydroxycinnamic acid hexose derivatives, anthocyanins, hydroxycinnamoylquinic acids, and a distinct group of iridoid glycosides. Vaccinoside and several coumaroyl-substituted monotropein derivatives were structurally characterized in cranberry for the first time. sPLS-DA identified iridoid glycosides as key discriminators, with higher abundance observed in the Welker cultivar. CONCLUSION: Cranberry cultivars contain previously unreported iridoid glycosides that contribute to chemotaxonomic differentiation. These results expand current knowledge of cranberry hydrophilic phytochemistry and support the relevance of iridoid glycosides as cultivar-informative metabolites. HIGHLIGHTS: This study characterizes the highly polar, water-eluted fraction of six cranberry cultivars using UHPLC-HRAM-MSn analysis, resulting in the putative identification of 39 compounds, including a prominent series of iridoid glycosides.

Source: Journal of AOAC International

DOI: 10.1093/jaoacint/qsag025

Authors: Ping Geng, Jianghao Sun, Pei Chen

Institutions: Agricultural Research Service, Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center, Beltsville Agricultural Research Center

Language: English

Topic: Berry genetics and cultivation research

Subfield: Plant Science

Field: Agricultural and Biological Sciences

Domain: Life Sciences

SDG: Zero hunger

Open Access status: green

Funders: Office of Dietary Supplements, U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Institutes of Health, Agricultural Research Service