Bioactive compounds and quality characteristics of five apples cultivars

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate bioactive compounds in five apple cultivars and to analyze correlation of their quality characteristics with concentration of bioactive compounds. Phenolic compounds measurements were made in a spectrophotometer compared to a standard curve of gallic acid and expressed as gallic acid equivalent (GAE) per 100g of dry weight. Sugar and organics acids in five cultivars were quantified using high-performance liquid chromatograph (HPLC). Antioxidant activities were evaluated using three complementary tests 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhidrazyl (DPPH) scavenging activity, ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), and 2,2’-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS). ‘GoldRush’ had the highest total phenolic compared to the other four cultivars. Additionally, ‘GoldRush’ had slightly higher, DPPH activity followed by ‘Crimson Crisp’ and ‘Wine Crisp’. ‘GoldRush’ and ‘Crimson Crisp’ cultivars also have higher antioxidant capacity based on the ABTS and FRAP methods. The antioxidant capacity was significantly correlated with total polyphenols present in the different cultivars, while organic acids and fruit color showed slightly significant correlation to total phenols.