Impact of Shelf Life on Content of Primary and Secondary Metabolites in Apple (Malus domestica Borkh.)

Abstract

In this study, we evaluated the changes in apple fruit quality during shelf life. After a month of cold storage, apples of cultivars "Jonagold" and "Golden Delicious" were exposed to ambient temperatures for 21 d, with subsequent sampling every 3 or 4 d. Fruit firmness, changes in amounts of sugars, malic acid, and phenolics were observed during shelf life. Chemical analyses were done with HPLC-PDA system. An interchange between various sugars was noticed, but in general, the sum of sugars remained at the same level. The content of malic acid remained stable or dropped, resulting in sweeter fruit. Levels of phenolics were more constant in the pulp of both cultivars analyzed, while in the peel, the changes were more pronounced. In the pulp, a peak in the content of hydroxycinnamic acids and flavanols was noticed on the 2nd or 3rd sampling and afterwards, the amounts remained constant. In the peel an initial decrease of all analyzed phenolic groups was observed in both cultivars, however it was more pronounced in "Jonagold." It can be concluded that changes in primary and secondary metabolites are not the main reason for the lower quality of fruit exposed to ambient temperatures. On the other hand, fruit firmness might be the limiting factor for shelf life duration.