Interest in the phytochemical composition of fruits and vegetables has become of interest since the health properties of these chemicals were postulated. In particular, the polyphenols in fruits and vegetables appear to show beneficial health properties in humans and animals. Phytochemicals often contain hydroxyl groups and other chemical groups that are able to confer antioxidant properties on the molecules and this allows them to be effective at inhibiting the generation or propagation of hydroxyl, peroxyl or superoxide anions, which can cause cellular and tissue damage. The antioxidant capacity of antioxidants from cherries is supplied in a large part by the presence of anthocyanins, a group of flavonoid chemicals that falls within the large category of polyphenols. Anthocyanins are responsible for the red colour of cherries and their presence in fruits is usually predicted by their red, or dark blue appearance. Other rich sources of anthocyanins include berries, but many fruits contain lower levels of anthocyanins.
Analysis of the antioxidants within cherries shows that they confer similar antioxidant capacity that compares favourably to the synthetic antioxidants butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) and known biologically active human antioxidant vitamin E, in in vitro testing. In particular the antioxidant capacity of one of the main anthocyanins, cyanidin, has been tested extensively. The comparison between cyanidin and BHT is valid because cyanidins are now used in the food industry alongside BHT in order to preserve foods such as meat, where they limit the degree of lipid peroxidation that can cause rancidity. Cyanidin also shows effective antiinflammatory activity in vitro through reductions in the synthesis of proinflammatory prostaglandins. The antiinflammatory effects of cherries have been reported in humans, where cherry consumption is known to lessen the symptoms of inflammatory conditions such as gout and arthritis, and this may be due to the presence of the cyanidin anthocyanins.
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