Some Biological Effects of the Fruits and Leaves of Different Apple Cultivars, Including Red-Fleshed Apples, Grown in a Microclimatic Region of Turkey: Part I

Abstract

Apple is a fruit that is frequently consumed in daily diet and is very useful for human health. In this study, seven apple cultivars grown in Posof district in Ardahan province, including red-fleshed ‘Ici Kirmizi’ and ’Japon apples’ were investigated. ’Japon apple’ was found to have the highest values of total phenolic and ascorbic acid contents. The highest content of chlorophyll a (1.14 μg/g) was measured in ‘Mahara apple’, while the highest contents of chlorophyll b and total carotenoids (1.22 and 0.70 μg/g, respectively) were also observed in ‘Japon apple’. All the fruits and leaves of the apple cultivars, used in this study exhibited differential antioxidant and antibacterial effects. Except for ‘Şeker apple’, all methanolic leaf extracts exhibited inhibitory effects on Saccharomyces cerevisiae. In addition, the strongest antimicrobial activities were observed in ‘Japon apple’. While none of the doses of aqueous fruit extracts showed antimutagenic activities, different doses of the methanolic leaf extracts of the samples exhibited antimutagenic effects.