Phenolic compounds in the leaves of 104 blueberry cultivars were investigated using HPLC–
DAD and HPLC–ESI–MS2 analysis. This approach identified 28 constituents, among which
eight constituents were identified certainly by authentic standards, while others were tentative.
Three anthocyanins, four flavonols and four chlorogenic acids were reported for the
first time in blueberry leaves. Furthermore, the antioxidant activity of blueberry leaves was
estimated by using DPPH•, ABTS•+ and FRAP assays. It was found that most rabbiteye blueberry
cultivars had higher antioxidant activity than most northern and southern highbush
ones.The rabbiteye cultivars ‘Vernon’, ‘Britewell’ and ‘T-172, Festival’ appear to be good sources
of antioxidants. Hierarchical cluster analysis classified 104 cultivars into three clusters, and
they were distinct from each other. This study contributes to current knowledge on the composition
of phenolic compounds in blueberry leaves, and identifies specific cultivars which
may be potential resources for tea making and food additive.