Biochemical Composition of Japanese Quince (Chaenomeles japonica) and Its Promising Value for Food, Cosmetic, and Pharmaceutical Industries

Abstract

Japanese quince (Chaenomeles japonica) is one of the most underutilized plant species that have high nutrient value and a positive impact on human health. Due to the high content of bio-compounds, such as phenols, vitamin C, triterpenes, fibers, essential amino acids, and microelements, the fruits, leaves, and seeds are excellent raw materials for functional food production. In addition, their biochemical composition and anti-inflammatory, anticancer, and antibacterial properties expanded their uses in the pharmaceutical field. Moreover, it was demonstrated that quince waste after industrial processing is still valuable and suitable for remanufacturing and developing innovative high value-added products, which can provide economic and ecological benefits. This chapter presents the biochemical composition and possible application of C. japonica cultivars Rasa, Darius, and Rondo. The optimization of processing and extraction parameters was evaluated to increase the extraction efficiency of biologically active compounds and to reduce the extraction time and cost of electricity and environmentally harmful solvents. Moreover, the detailed nutritional and pharmacological value of Japanese quince can help for more selective plant organs application. Our study revealed that cultivars Rasa, Darius, and Rondo are very valuable with many new options for utilization, including food, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical industries.

Enrichment of Cookies with Fruits and Their By-Products: Chemical Composition, Antioxidant Properties, and Sensory Changes

“…Other researchers [ 41 ] assessed the impact of adding freeze-dried and ground Japanese quince ( Chaenomeles japonica ) fruits on the properties of cookies. Japanese quince is a source of polyphenolic compounds, such as catechin, epicatechin, chlorogenic acid, procyanidin B1, and procyanidin B2, which, together with the biologically active form of vitamin C, determine the antioxidant potential of the fruit [ 42 ]. The 0.5% addition to the cookies resulted in a two-fold increase in antiradical activity against DPPH, while the 9.5% addition resulted in a 3.5-fold improvement over the control.…”

Comparison of antioxidant activity in various spirulina containing products and factors affecting it

“…However, due to their characteristics, such as firmness and sourness, they are not suitable for fresh consumption, so they are mainly used to produce juices, syrups, alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, etc. 17 . They contain antioxidants like B and C vitamins, epicatechin, iron, copper, zinc, kaempferol, quercetin, etc.…”

Quinces (Cydonia, Chaenomeles and Pseudocidonia) as Less Distinguishable Medicinal Fruits of the Rosaceae Family. Current State of Knowledge on Properties and Use

“…However, the differences in their amounts reported in the literature are significant, depending on the variety, growing conditions, extraction method, and solvent used. According to research on the extraction of C. japonica phenolics, the most effective extractants among the nine tested were 50% ethanol, 100% methanol, and 50-70% acetone [61].…”

“…The analysis is complicated by the fact that sometimes extracts were prepared from whole fruits after removal of the seed core, probably due to the smaller size of the fruits, and then freeze-dried, in which case the results of all measurements were expressed on a dry weight basis, while other researchers used extracts from fresh pulp. Urbanavičiūtė et al [61] analyzed the total phenolic content in C. japonica extracts and found that it ranged from 4523 to 6785 mg/100 g dm. Significant differences in the obtained values resulted from specific combinations of parameters (i.e., type of solvent, time, power and temperature of ultrasonic extraction).…”