Bioactive and antioxidant properties in highbush blueberry cultivars: identifying superior cultivars for nutritional biofortification

Introduction: L.) are recognized as functional foods with exceptional health-promoting properties, yet comprehensive comparative evaluations of cultivar-dependent variation in bioactive compounds remain limited for breeding applications. Methods: This study characterized phenolic profiles, anthocyanin content, sugar composition, and antioxidant capacity of 21 highbush blueberry cultivars (19 Southern Highbush, 2 Northern Highbush) grown under uniform conditions at Liaoning Institute of Pomology, China. Phenolic compounds were quantified by HPLC-DAD, sugars were analyzed by HPLC with refractive index detection, and antioxidant activity was assessed using DPPH radical scavenging assay. Data were analyzed using ANOVA, Pearson correlation, principal component analysis (PCA), and hierarchical cluster analysis. Results: Significant cultivar effects (p