Some important physicochemical and bioactive characteristics of the main apricot cultivars from Turkey

Abstract

Turkey is one of the world’s leading producers in both in fresh and dried apricots, and Malatya Province is the capital for apricots. In the present study, the fruit of 13 apricot cultivars (Adilcevaz, Alkaya, Aprikoz, Çataloğlu, Hacıhaliloğlu, Hasanbey, İsmailağa, Kabaaşı, Mahmuduneriği, Soğancı, Şam, Şekerpare, and Tokaloğlu-Erzincan), grown together at the Apricot Research Institute in Malatya Province, were harvested and evaluated for some important physicochemical and bioactive characteristics. The results showed statistically significant differences in most of the physicochemical and bioactive characteristics. Fresh apricot fruit peel color values, L,a, and b, were determined as between 48.66 and 64.70, 8.12and 22.82, and 16.50and 38.67, respectively. The fruit, the dry matter (DM), pH, titratable acidity, reducing sugar, sucrose, total sugar, total phenolic content, lycopene, β-carotene, vitamin A, vitamin E and vitamin C contents were between 13.05% and 23.12%, 3.68 and 5.04, 0.22% and 1.40%, 2.02 and 5.40 g/100 g, 1.83 and 3.97 g/100g, 4.96 and 8.04 g/100 g, 24.60 and 50.69 mg GAE/mg fresh weight, 3.84 and 17.89 mg/100g, 19.59 and 40.53 mg/100g, 0.13 and 0.67 μg/g, 15.67 and 22.12 μg/g, and 1.41 and 8.16 μg/g, respectively. Antioxidant activity was determined using 3 different methods, β-carotene bleaching, trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC), and 2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl hydrate (DPPH). The antioxidant capacity varied according to the methods used. The results showed that apricot fruit had high antioxidant activity and varied according to methods used, and was rich in carotenoids and phenolic substances, which have positive effects on human health and can be consumed as a functional food.