Abstract
Soluble sugars, malic acid, and ascorbic acid in 17 apple cultivars (Malus domestica Borkh.) and three wild forms (M. pumila ‘Saiwaihong’, M. prunifolia (Willd.) Borkh. and M. micromalus Makino) from three major apple cultivation regions in China were quantified using gas chromatography equipped with flame ionization detector (GC-FID). Fructose was the most abundant sugar, followed by sucrose, glucose, and sorbitol. Wild apples contain more sorbitol and less sucrose and were significantly more acidic than cultivated fruits. The total sugar content varied from 110 to 160 mg/g fresh fruits, total acid content from 2 to 6 mg/g, with a strong influence of genetic background and growth location. Overall, ‘Gala’, ‘Xiali’, ‘Liuyuehong’, ‘Lihong’, ‘Starking Delicious’, and ‘Starkrimson’ were characterized by higher sugar/acid ratio indicating sweeter taste compared to other cultivars. The wild apples had the highest content of ascorbic acid (0.6–0.96 mg/g). Compared to other cultivars, ‘Zhongqiuwang’, ‘Qinguan’, and ‘Nagafu No. 2′ were richer in ascorbic acid. The ascorbic acid content in the commercial cultivars was highly dependent on growth location. The content of malic acid and sucrose positively correlated to altitude, and that of glucose negatively. Malic acid positively correlated with ascorbic acid and sucrose, glucose content with ascorbic acid.
Highlights
Apple (Malus × domestica Borkh.) is one of the most widely produced and consumed fruits in the world
The major soluble sugars in the apple fruits are fructose, sucrose, and glucose; sorbitol was major sugar alcohol, which is consistent with previous reports on sugars and sugar alcohols in apple fruits of different cultivars [15,19,33]
The ascorbic acid content in the commercial cultivars was highly dependent on growth location
Summary
Apple (Malus × domestica Borkh.) is one of the most widely produced and consumed fruits in the world. China being the largest producer (46% of global production), followed by the US (5.4%), Poland (4.6%), Turkey (4.2%), and Iran (2.9%) [1]. As a fruit available on the market throughout the year, apple is an important part of the diet and an excellent source of nutrients and health-promoting bioactive compounds [5]. Research has been conducted on the phytochemical components in fruits of multiple varieties cultivated in major producing countries, such as China, Poland, Italy, New Zealand, and Austria [8,9,10,11,12]. Among the major components of apple, sugars and acids are the most important compounds, which have a strong impact on the overall organoleptic quality of the fruits [13,14]. Fructose is the principal sugar, followed by glucose and sucrose, while malic acid is the most dominant organic acid [12,19]
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