Effects of Genetic Background and Altitude on Sugars, Malic Acid and Ascorbic Acid in Fruits of Wild and Cultivated Apples (Malus sp.)

Abstract

Soluble sugars, malic acid, and ascorbic acid in 17 apple cultivars (Malus domestica Borkh.) and three wild forms (M. pumila ‘Saiwaihong’, M. prunifolia (Willd.) Borkh. and M. micromalus Makino) from three major apple cultivation regions in China were quantified using gas chromatography equipped with flame ionization detector (GC-FID). Fructose was the most abundant sugar, followed by sucrose, glucose, and sorbitol. Wild apples contain more sorbitol and less sucrose and were significantly more acidic than cultivated fruits. The total sugar content varied from 110 to 160 mg/g fresh fruits, total acid content from 2 to 6 mg/g, with a strong influence of genetic background and growth location. Overall, ‘Gala’, ‘Xiali’, ‘Liuyuehong’, ‘Lihong’, ‘Starking Delicious’, and ‘Starkrimson’ were characterized by higher sugar/acid ratio indicating sweeter taste compared to other cultivars. The wild apples had the highest content of ascorbic acid (0.6–0.96 mg/g). Compared to other cultivars, ‘Zhongqiuwang’, ‘Qinguan’, and ‘Nagafu No. 2′ were richer in ascorbic acid. The ascorbic acid content in the commercial cultivars was highly dependent on growth location. The content of malic acid and sucrose positively correlated to altitude, and that of glucose negatively. Malic acid positively correlated with ascorbic acid and sucrose, glucose content with ascorbic acid.

Physico-Chemical and Sensory Quality of Oven-Dried and Dehydrator-Dried Apples of the Starkrimson, Golden Delicious and Florina Cultivars

“…The flavor and quality of fruit products are given by acid and sugar content, and the sugar/acid ratio can better predict the flavor impact [35]. Apple fruits with sugar/acid ratios below 20 are characterized by a strong sour taste and are only suitable for processing; if the ratios are higher than this value, the fruits are perceived as sweet and suitable for consumption [61]. In the case of fresh samples investigated in this study, sugar/acid ratios were: 55.88 for the 'Starkrimson' cultivar, 46.06 for the 'Golden Delicious' cultivar and 39.31 for the 'Florina' cultivar.…”

“…The values obtained are close to the values obtained in other papers. For example, Li et al [61] obtained for the 'Starkrimson' cultivar sugar/acid ratios of between 28.07 and 59.73, while for the 'Golden Delicious' cultivar, the sugar/acid ratios were between 22.39 and 44.32 depending on the growth sites. Patras [57] reported a sugar/acid ratio of 41.36 for the 'Florina' cultivar.…”

Metabolism and Regulation of Ascorbic Acid in Fruits

“…The main dietary sources of AsA for humans are fruits. The AsA contents of some fruits are organized, such as tomato, kiwifruit, orange, strawberry, carrot, sweet pepper, and so on (Table 1) [18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30]. Because of the important role of AsA in plants, in-depth studies have been carried out on the metabolic pathways of AsA in plants (Figure 1).…”

RUSSIAN ADAPTIVE APPLE (Malus × domestica Borkh.) VARIETIES OF VNIISPK — CONTINUITY OF GOALS AND DEVELOPED TECHNOLOGIES (review)

“…Яблоки ценятся диетологами как важный источник сахаров, аскорбиновой кислоты, других витаминов, микроэлементов, пектинов и биологически активных веществ -каротиноидов, антоцианов и фенольных соединений (4)(5)(6). Такой состав нутриентов снижает риск хронических заболеваний, улучшает состояние здоровья и повышает адаптационные возможности организма (6,7).…”

“…Яблоки ценятся диетологами как важный источник сахаров, аскорбиновой кислоты, других витаминов, микроэлементов, пектинов и биологически активных веществ -каротиноидов, антоцианов и фенольных соединений (4)(5)(6). Такой состав нутриентов снижает риск хронических заболеваний, улучшает состояние здоровья и повышает адаптационные возможности организма (6,7). Внешний вид (размер, цвет) и аромат -основные факторы привлекательности плодов яблони для потребителя; с экономической точки зрения основное внимание, особенно в последние десятилетия, уделяется технологическим признакам, определяющим, например, возможность применения современных приемов выращивания и уборки, пригодность для переработки, а также адаптивность, урожайность, сроки цветения и созревания, лежкость плодов, их однородность по размеру, устойчивость к болезням (8)(9)(10)(11)(12).…”