Antioxidant Compounds, Nutritional Quality and Colour of Two Strawberry Genotypes from Fragaria × Ananassa

Abstract

In this study, average weight, colour, soluble solids content and titratable acidity were determined as quality parameters of strawberry fruits while ascorbic acid, total anthocyanins, total phenolics, total flavonoids, minerals and trace elements content as nutritional parameters. All these attributes along with the DPPH radical scavenging activity were screened in two strawberry genotypes grown on the same site at the ripe stage. Also, the phenolic profiles of the strawberry fruits were obtained by HPLC. Except colour, results showed no significant differences between cultivars in quality parameters. Ascorbic acid found for ‘Premial’ cv. (81.62 mg/100 g) was twice the amount found in ‘Magic’ cv. (42.15 mg/100 g), total phenolics varied from 207.95 (cv. ‘Premial’) to 249.98 (cv. ‘Magic’) mg GAE/100 g while total flavonoid content in fruits of ‘Magic’ cultivar (79.56 mg/100 g) was 2‑fold higher than the one of the ‘Premial’ cv. The quercetin content ranged from 2.72 to 4.66 mg/100 g, whereas free ellagic acid ranged from 6.79 to 9.03 mg/100 g. The pale shiny fruits of ‘Premial’ cv. (higher L*, ho and chroma index) had a lower total anthocyanin content (19.07 mg CG/100 g) than the bluish fruits of the ‘Magic’ cv. (23.96 mg CG/100 g). An inverse relationship between the levels of ascorbic acid and anthocyanin contents was also noticed in strawberry samples. Significant differences were found also in minerals and trace elements content of the two strawberry cultivars. The results revealed the importance of genetic background for the content of antioxidant compounds in strawberry fruits.