Evaluating of some quality parameters of different apricot cultivars using HPLC method

High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was used for separation, identification and quantification of sugars, sugar alcohol sorbitol and non-volatile acid content in puree of 15 apricot cultivars (Prunus armeniaca L.). Sugar analyses included sucrose, glucose, fructose, xylose and sorbitol. The main organic acids characterizing apricot puree are malic, citric and fumaric acid. Variation in the content of theanalyzed compounds mentioned and also in the content of soluble solids (SS), titratable acids and pH value was found among the cultivars. Sensory evaluation showed that the content of individual organic acids and sugars as well as their relations could be crucial in forming the taste.Knowledge of the qualitative and quantitative composition of acids and sugars in apricot fruits may prove to be a powerful tool in evaluating fruit maturity and quality

Effect of crop load on fruit quality of ‘Fuji’ apple

To study the effect of the crop load on fruit quality of the cultivar ‘Fuji’ apple, in a two-year experiment, fruitlets were hand-thinned to six, eight, ten and in the second year, to twelve fruit per cm2 of the trunk cross-sectional area (TCSA). With increasing crop load, yield and the proportion of small fruits increased, but mean fruit weight decreased. However, the increase of TCSA and the number of flower clusters at return bloom were the lowest in high cropping trees. The highest percentage of total soluble solids was measured in the lightest cropping trees, which could be in correlation with the highest content levels of the sum of the analysed sugars, sucrose, sorbitol, malic and citric acids in the treatments with lowest crop load in the second year. The most intensive red colour of the fruit and the highest concentration of cyanidin-3-galactoside was observed in the treatment with eight fruit per cm2 TCSA. Different cropping of trees had no influence on phenolic compounds, such as the concentrations of catechin, epicatechin and chlorogenic acid. On the basis of yield efficiency, return bloom and detected fruit quality parameters cv. ‘Fuji’ apple has high yield potential