Abstract
China is an important centre of diversity for Prunus persica. In the present study, 17 Chinese peach cultivars were evaluated for phenolic content and antioxidant activity. Neochlorogenic acid (NCHA), chlorogenic acid (CHA), procyanidin B1 (B1), catechin (CAT), cyanidin-3-O-glucoside (C3G), quercetin-3-O-galactoside (Q3GAL), quercetin-3-O-glucoside (Q3GLU), quercetin-3-O-rutinoside (Q3R), and kaempferol-3-O-rutinoside (K3R) were identified and quantified. CHA and CAT were the predominant components in both the peel and pulp of this fruit. In general, peel extracts showed higher antioxidant activities than the pulp counterparts, consistent with the observed higher phenolic content. The melting peach cultivar “Xinyu” showed the highest antioxidant potency composite (APC) index. The principal component analysis (PCA) of peel phenolics showed a clear distinction between the melting peach and nectarine. Overall, peach cultivars rich in hydroxycinnamates and flavan-3-ols showed relatively higher antioxidant activities and might be excellent sources of phytochemicals and natural antioxidants.
Highlights
Epidemiological studies have shown that the consumption of fruit and vegetables has health benefits against chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, and diabetes [1,2,3]
The objective of the present study was to characterize the phenolic compounds in 17 peach cultivars, including 13 melting peach cultivars grown in southern China, and to evaluate their antioxidant capacities
The phenolic contents and antioxidant activities in the peel and pulp of 13 melting peach cultivars and four nectarine cultivars grown in southern China were investigated
Summary
Epidemiological studies have shown that the consumption of fruit and vegetables has health benefits against chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, and diabetes [1,2,3]. The health-promoting properties of fruits and vegetables are mainly due to the presence of different antioxidant components, including phenolics [4,5]. Phenolic compounds are a large group of plant secondary metabolites. More than 8000 dietary phenolics have been identified, and their distribution and accumulation profiles can be affected by both genetic and environmental factors [2,4]. Distinctive phenolic profiles can be used as taxonomic markers [6,7]. Peaches (Prunus persica (L.) Batsch) are nutritionally and economically important and they are one of the most popular fruits consumed worldwide. Peach originated from China more than 4000 years ago and there are more than 3000 peach cultivars in the world today, which can be variously classified as melting and non-melting flesh, or hairy and smooth skin, or clingstone and freestone, etc. [8]
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