Recent Development on the Chemical Composition and Phenolic Extraction Methods of Apple (Malus domestica)—A Review

Abstract

Apple (Malus domestica) is a reliable source of nutrients to increase the bioactive compounds intake in the human body. In the market, the development of apple is still growing, not only in the hybridization of new cultivars, but also in the functional food products, based on apple’s bioactive compounds. In this paper, we review the recent studies about the chemical composition of apples, including carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, dietary fibers, minerals, vitamins, phenolics, and other compounds, from various cultivars, grown in different countries or regions. Among the bioactive compounds in apple, the phenolic compounds, including hydroxybenzoic acids, hydroxycinnamic acids, flavanols and their oligo- and polymeric structure, flavonols, dihydrochalcones, and anthocyanins, majorly contribute to beneficial biological impacts. Therefore, the extraction process might be the most critical step to recover all the phenolics from apple and could be used in various food product developments. In this paper, the comparison of conventional and developed phenolic extraction methods is also reviewed in various apple products (flesh, peel, pomace, pulp, etc.). The selection of food grade and green solvents in the optimal phenolic extraction methods could reduce the environmental issues, thus supports sustainability and can be safer for consumers. To sum up, this paper may help the readers, both at general household and industrial levels, to understand the nutritional composition of various apple cultivars from different regions and to select the optimum conditions for apple’s phenolic extraction, based on recent studies. Graphical Abstract

Evaluation of Polyphenolic Profile and Antioxidant Activity of Sea Buckthorn (Elaeagnus rhamnoides (L.) A. Nelson) Leaf and Berry Extracts Obtained via Optimized Microwave-Assisted and Accelerated Solvent Extraction

“…Asofei et al [30] reported an optimal MAE temperature of 90 • C for the extraction of polyphenols from SB leaves and a solvent/plant ratio of 20:1 and 50% ethanol as the extraction solvent. The two most fluctuating parameters in MAE are the microwave power and the extraction time which change depending on the plant species, BAMs, and various parts of the same plant [49]. Microwave power has considerable impact on the extraction of BAMs since microwave irradiation can speed the rupture of plant cells by rapidly raising the temperature and pressure [50].…”

Possibilities of Obtaining and Valorizing Dietary Fibers in the Context of the Circular Bioeconomy

“…However, the main and characteristic components of each species are water, which occupies the largest percentage of the product (85.60 %), followed by sugars (13.8 %), proteins and lipids in smaller quantities, and dietary fiber, which is of interest to us, which amounts to about 2.40 g/100 g of product [19].…”

“…Among the micronutrients, we can mention that apple is a good source of potassium (107 mg/100 g), β-carotene (27 mg/100 g) and other minerals and vitamins such as phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, vitamin C and B group and others [19].…”

Chemical and Pharmaceutical Features of Obtaining Pectins from Apple Pomace and Prospects for Use in Medicine and Pharmacy

“…Among pectins, attention is drawn to apple pectin by processing apple pomace. A third of the world volume of apple pectin is produced in the USA, China, Brazil, Great Britain, Denmark, Italy, Germany, Austria, Bulgaria, and Poland [13][14][15].…”