THEY'RE purple, juicy, tasty and now it seems boysenberries are better for you than previously thought.

New research by the AgResearch Centre for Pastoral Foods Research at Massey University suggests the squashy little numbers are rich in the most potent form of antioxidants - elements in food which scientists increasingly associate with protection from common ailments, including heart disease.

Conducted for Berryfruit Export New Zealand Ltd, the research has found boysenberries have the potential to be the latest in a new wave of foods being touted not only for their traditional loveable properties, but new ones as well.

Of particular interest is the concentration in boysenberries of anthocyanins, which are thought to be useful in the treatment of vision problems and in disorders involving blood circulation.

AgResearch has found boysenberries and blueberries have similar levels of anthocyanins - but that boysenberries have three times as much of the most potent form of this bio-active compound, known as cyanin-3-glucoside.

"This compound was found to have the highest oxygen radical absorbance capacity, a measure which lends itself well to identifying foods with high antioxidant capacity," according to a draft report. Antioxidants are believed to help neutralise free radicals in the body which are being linked to cancer and other diseases.

The discovery is potentially good news for the $7 million a year boysenberry export industry. While the fruit is relatively unknown outside this country, Chile and the north-western states of the United States, there was potential for boysenberries to be marketed on health grounds as well taste, said John Molyneux of Berryfruit Export. "If there's a proven health benefit, it opens up a whole new vista of opportunities for us," he said.

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The NZ Herald