Abstract:Objective: The aim of this study is to explore the relationship between anthocyanins content in blueberry (Vaccinium spp.) fruits and environmental factors such as altitude and latitude of different growing locations. Methods: Rabbiteye blueberry 'Brightwell' (Vaccinium ashei cv. 'Brightwell') grown in ten locations of China with different altitude and latitude were investigated with their anthocyanin distribution. High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and High performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry (HPLC-ESI-MS) were used to qualitatively and quantitatively analyze anthocyanins in blueberry fruits, and the composition and content of anthocyanins in blueberry fruits from different growing locations were compared. Results: A total of 13 anthocyanins from five anthocyanidins were detected in blueberry fruits. The anthocyanidin with the highest content was malvidin, followed by cyanidin, delphinidin, petunidin, and peonidin. All the anthocyanidins had three glycosides except that peonidin only was detected with galactoside. The total content of galactoside was higher than that of arabinoside and glucosides. The contents of malvidin-3-O-galactoside and cyanidin-3-O-galactoside were the highest in blueberry fruits, while the contents of delphinin-3-O-glucoside and petuniatin-3-O-glucoside were the lowest, which were not detected or existed in some blueberry fruits. The composition of anthocyanins in blueberry fruits from different growing locations was similar, but the contents of anthocyanins were different. The total anthocyanin content in blueberry fruits from Longpeng County of Yunnan Province at a low latitude and high altitude was the highest, while the total anthocyanin content in blueberry fruits from Zhejiang Caota at a high latitude and low altitude was the lowest. Conclusions: The geographical environment of different growing locations affects the distribution of anthocyanins in blueberry fruits, and high altitude is beneficial for the synthesis and accumulation of anthocyanins in blueberry fruits.