A contribution to the estimation of berry fruits quality

•Total antioxidant activity of berry fruits.•Hydroxo-Perhydroxyl Mercury(II) Complex (HPMC).•Direct Current (DC) polarographic HPMC assay, a novel tool for the characterisation of berry fruits. This study aimed to estimate the quality (in terms of standard chemical parameters, total antioxidative activity /AO/ and thermal properties) of the fresh strawberry (Fragaria xananassa L. Duch.), raspberry (Rubus idaeus L.) and blackberry (Rubus fruticosusL.) samples grown in the Western Serbia. The examined blackberry variety was found to exhibit the most potent AO (DPPH /2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl/ assay, EC50 4.05 ± 0.22 μg and ARP 0.25 ± 0.03 μg−1; Hydroxo-Perhydroxyl Mercury(II) Complex /HPMC/ assay, 0.072 ± 0.007%/μL), due to the enriched contents of both total phenolics and anthocyanins. It was actually followed by the raspberry and strawberry samples. Unlike the aforementioned trend for AO, thermal behaviour of all samples was similar. This is first time ever that a DC polarographic HPMC assay has been applied for the characterisation of the fresh berry fruits. Further studies aiming to screen total AO of the soft fruit during growth, storage and processing might be well facilitated by the application of this low cost, rapid, easy-to-handle and reliable electrochemical assay.