Pomological and Nutraceutical Properties in Apricot Fruit: Cultivation Systems and Cold Storage Fruit Management

Abstract

We have investigated the effect of cultivation systems and fruit post-harvest management on the antioxidant properties of apricot fruits. Trees of five cultivars 'Tyrinthos', 'Cafona', 'Bella d'Italia', 'Vitillo' and 'Pellecchiella' were cultivated under integrated and organic systems. Fruits were collected at full maturity stage and analyzed either immediately or after storage at 4+/-0.5 degrees C and 85% of relative humidity for seven and 14 days. The main pomological traits (weight, colour, flesh firmness, total soluble sugars, titratable acidity) and antioxidant properties were analyzed. The total antioxidant capacity (TAC by TEAC method), total phenols content (TP by Folin-Ciocalteu method) and carotenoid content by HPLC-DAD were monitored. Cultivar characterization by principal component analysis (PCA) indicated a large variability on pomological and antioxidant properties of apricot fruits. 'Bella d'Italia' showed better TAC and TP values compared to the other cultivars. ANOVA interactions between cultivar and cultivation system (organic/integrated) were found for the antioxidant properties. These interactions may help to select a set of genotypes with better performances under organic system, which in our study might be indicated in 'Cafona' and 'Bella d'Italia'.

Soluble solids, acidity, phenolic content and antioxidant capacity of fruits and berries cultivated in Serbia

“…'Harcot' and 'Aleksandar' exhibited the lowest antioxidant power, whereas the highest value observed in 'Roxana'. This is in accordance with the reports of Drogoudi et al [33], Kalyoncu et al [9], Schmitzer et al [47], Hegedüs et al [14] and Leccese et al [18,42] who also reported a large variation of total phenolic and flavonoid content and antioxidant activity for apricot cultivars due to their geographical origin. Additionally, total phenolic content seems to be a good indicator of the antioxidant potential in fruit and authors report correlation between these parameters in different fruit species, including apricot [45,47].…”

“…Differences among above four cultivars were not significant, and also between 'Harcot' and 'Roxana'. Likewise, previous studies reported variable ranges of SSC [18,19,23,33]. Regarding acidity content, remarkable differences were found among cultivars, being the highest in 'Roxana', and the lowest in 'Vera'.…”

“…For gooseberry, our observations are similar to the data obtained by Skrede et al [2], and Pantelidis et al [13], who all reported that berries of this species have higher levels of phenols than red currants. Although apricot contained lower amounts of total phenols than other species evaluated, interest of consumers on fruit health benefits due to its antioxidant profile has recently been raised [9,18,42].…”

“…While some species are similar in composition, others differ markedly [3,12,15,16]. Moreover, the chemical composition of fruits and/or berries can be influenced by various factors such as species and genotypic differences, rootstocks, preharvest climatic conditions and cultural practices, location on the tree canopy or bush, maturity and harvesting methods, and postharvest handling procedures [2,14,[17][18][19]. From this point, quantification of antioxidant capacity can be achieved in multiple ways and is often confusing to the general public when it comes to determining individual needs and consumption [6].…”

The effect of solvent extraction on antioxidant properties of apricot fruit

“…The antioxidant profile of apricot fruit (Prunus armeniaca L.) has recently been analysed with particular reference to the total antioxidant capacity, polyphenols and carotenoids [5][6][7][8][9]. Given that a diverse germplasm exists for this species, the effect of the genotype on antioxidant properties has been considered, and the nutraceutical profiles of many cultivars have been studied in order to find outstanding genotypes rich in antioxidant compounds [10][11][12].…”