Physicochemical properties and antioxidant activity of two varieties of apple cultivated in different areas in Morocco

Abstract

<p class="Mabstract">This study aimed to assess the effect of climate on the organoleptic qualities and phytochemical properties of two varieties of apple (<em>Golden delicious</em> (GD) and <em>Red delicious</em> (RD)) collected from different regions in Morocco. These two varieties of apple were examined for their bioactive compounds composition and antioxidant activity (in juice and different extracts). For physicochemical parameters, the highest acidity was observed in <em>Golden delicious</em> collected from station 1, which was the juiciest sample. Bioactive substances content was dependent on variety and station, while the highest polyphenol content was observed in <em>Golden delicious</em> collected from station 2 (135.41±6.66 mg GAE/100 mL of juice) and most top flavonoid content was observed in <em>Red delicious</em> collected from station 1 (7.43±0.13 mg QE/100 mL of juice). Furthermore, <em>Red delicious</em> collected from station 2 was the most effective in chelating the radical DPPH (IC50% = 0.92±0.01 µL of juice), and <em>Red delicious</em> collected from station 1 has the highest total antioxidant activity (2.47±0.02 mg AAE/100 mL of juice). The present work showed that the significant diversity in the different studied parameters of the apple cultivars was closely linked with the characteristics of the station, such as geography and climate.</p>