Assist. Prof. Nikola Saraginovski, from the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and Food, Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje, North Macedonia, recently completed a Short-Term Scientific Mission (STSM) within the FruitCREWS COST Action (CA21142). The mission took place from 18 July to 2 August 2026 and was hosted by the University of Cyprus in Nicosia under the supervision of Prof. Chrysafis Andreou, and by the Cyprus University of Technology in Limassol. The STSM focused on the application of Raman spectroscopy and complementary biochemical analyses for the characterization of autochthonous sweet cherry cultivars under climate-related stress conditions.
During the first week, hosted at the MYRSINE – Microscopy and Raman Spectroscopy Imaging Center for Nanoscience and Engineering, Nikola received advanced training in Raman spectroscopy and generated high-resolution Raman maps of nine freeze-dried sweet cherry cultivars originating from North Macedonia. The work focused on acquiring characteristic spectral fingerprints and investigating the spatial distribution of phenolic compounds and anthocyanins within fruit tissues. During the second week, at the Fruit Science Research Group of the Cyprus University of Technology, complementary biochemical analyses were performed on the same samples, including the determination of total phenolic content, total flavonoids, anthocyanin concentration and antioxidant activity using spectrophotometric methods.
The generated Raman and biochemical datasets are currently being integrated to evaluate the potential of Raman spectroscopy as a rapid tool for the biochemical characterization of sweet cherry fruits. The STSM strengthened collaboration between the participating institutions and provided valuable interdisciplinary training combining horticulture, spectroscopy and analytical chemistry. The results are expected to contribute to a joint scientific publication and future collaborative research within the FruitCREWS network, supporting the development of innovative methodologies for climate-resilient fruit production.