Application of principal component and hierarchical cluster analysis to classify fruits and vegetables commonly consumed in Ireland based on in vitro antioxidant activity

The purpose of this study was to gain insights into the variations in antioxidant profiles between fruits and vegetables using pattern recognition tools; classification was achieved based on global antioxidant activity, levels of antioxidant groups (total phenolics, total anthocyanins, ascorbic acid) and quality parameters (instrumental colour, moisture). Six vegetables (broccoli, carrot [organic and intensively grown], butterhead lettuce, red onion, yellow onion) and eight fruits (blueberries, cherry tomato, cranberries, red grapes, green pepper, raspberry, red pepper and strawberry) commonly consumed in Ireland were analysed. Antioxidant activity (ARP) and concentrations of bioactive compound groups differed according to sample type. Berry fruits had the highest antioxidant activity (1.51–2.97 (g/L)−1). By contrast, vegetables were quite low in antioxidant activity (0.14–0.39 (g/L)−1). Interrelationships between the parameters analysed and the different fruits and vegetables were investigated by principal component analysis (PCA) and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA). PCA revealed that the first two components represented 62% of the total variability in antioxidant activity and different antioxidant groups. HCA classified samples into four main groups on the basis of the measured parameters.