Analysis of Apple Fruit (Malus × domestica Borkh.) Quality Attributes Obtained from Organic and Integrated Production Systems

Profiling of Metabolites in Organically Grown Plums from Norway: Does Location or Cultivar Matter?

The aim of this work was to investigate the influence of two locations and seven cultivars on the profiling of metabolites in organically grown plums (Prunus domestica L.) fruit in Norway. P, K, and Ca were most abundant in the studied fruits, while Ba and Sr formed a clear line between the locations. The most abundant sugars were glucose, fructose, sucrose, and sorbitol, which together accounted for up to 97.00%. Quinic acid and malic acid were the predominant organic acids, while chlorogenic acid, rutin, and kaempferol-3-O-glucoside were the most abundant polyphenols. Plums from Ullensvang were characterized by a higher content of minerals, sugars, organic acids, total polyphenol content (TPC), and radical scavenging activity (RSA), while plums from Telemark had a higher content of quantified polyphenols. The cultivar 'Mallard' had the highest mineral and radical scavenging activity, 'Opal' had the sweetest fruit, 'Jubileum' had the highest acidity, 'Excalibur' had the highest TPC content, and 'Valor' stored the highest content of quantified polyphenols, especially chlorogenic acid. These results provide comprehensive information on the chemical profiles of selected plum cultivars, suggesting that organic plums are a rich source of beneficial compounds that can have a positive impact on human health.

Polyphenolic profile, processing impact, and bioaccessibility of apple fermented products

Health-promoting foods have become increasingly popular due to intensified consumer interest and awareness of illnesses. There is a global market for apple fruits, which are affordable, nutritious, tasty, and produced in large quantities for direct consumption as well as food processing to make derived products. The food matrix of apples is suitable for fermentation, besides containing a high amount of phenolics and polyphenols. Fermentation of apples is one of the most common methods of preserving apple fruit and its byproducts. With different fermentation techniques, apple fruit can be used to make a wide range of products, such as fermented apple juice, cider, liqueurs, apple cider, apple vinegar and fermented apple solids, because it is not only a low-cost and simple method of processing the fruit, but it can also sometimes increase the bioavailability of nutrients and the levels of components that can improve health and sensory quality. To understand the health benefits of food products and how the fermentation process impacts polyphenols, it is also crucial to observe the effects of digestion on polyphenol bioaccessibility. Polyphenolic profile changes can be observed via both in vitro and in vivo digestion methods; however, in vitro digestion methods have the advantage of observing every step of gastrointestinal track effects and have less cost as well. In this review, the polyphenolic profile, processing impact, and bioaccessibility of apple-fermented products is assessed, with most available studies showing polyphenol profiles and bioaccessibility in apple varieties and fermented apple products.

Fruit Quality Attributes of Organically Grown Norwegian Apples Are Affected by Cultivar and Location

In this work, 12 apple cultivars grown organically in three regions of Norway (Telemark, Ullensvang, Viken) were analyzed in terms of fruit quality, with the aim of equating different growing regions under specific climatic conditions. Apples were analyzed for concentration levels of minerals, sugars, sugar alcohols, organic acids, total phenolic content (TPC), radical scavenging activity (RSA), and phenolic profiles. Discovery "Rose" from Telemark stored the highest level of minerals (24,094.5 mg/kg dry weight). Glucose, fructose, sucrose, and sorbitol were the major carbohydrates, whereas the predominant organic acids were quinic acid and malic acid. Cultivar Discovery from Ullensvang had the highest TPC (9.22 g/kg) and RSA (229.32 mmol TE/kg). Of the polyphenols quantified, chlorogenic acid and kaempferol-3-O-glucoside were the most abounded, accounting for 85.50%. Principal component analysis (PCA) shows that the Ullensvang region is the richest source of most carbohydrates, organic acids (quinic, shikimic, and galacturonic), and most polyphenols, whereas the highest content of minerals and maleic acid characterized Viken. Regardless of location, the Discovery cultivar had, on average, the highest sugar and polyphenol contents. The results obtained suggest that organic apples from Norway are a rich source of beneficial compounds that can have a positive impact on human health. In addition, these results may be useful for consumers in identifying apple cultivars with desirable characteristics and for the fruit industry in tracing back the origin of apples. The findings could also be of great interest for locations with similar climate and soil conditions worldwide.

The Use of Fruit and Vegetable by-Products as Enhancers of Health Status of Piglets after Weaning: The Role of Bioactive Compounds from Apple and Carrot Industrial Wastes

At weaning, piglets are exposed to a large variety of stressors, from environmental/behavioral factors to nutritional stress. Weaning transition affects the gastrointestinal tract especially, resulting in specific disturbances at the level of intestinal morphology, barrier function and integrity, mucosal immunity and gut microbiota. All these alterations are associated with intestinal inflammation, oxidative stress and perturbation of intracellular signaling pathways. The nutritional management of the weaning period aims to achieve the reinforcement of intestinal integrity and functioning to positively modulate the intestinal immunity and that of the gut microbiota and to enhance the health status of piglets. That is why the current research is focused on the raw materials rich in phytochemicals which could positively modulate animal health. The composition analysis of fruit, vegetable and their by-products showed that identified phytochemicals could act as bioactive compounds, which can be used as modulators of weaning-induced disturbances in piglets. This review describes nutritional studies which investigated the effects of bioactive compounds derived from fruit (apple) and vegetables (carrot) or their by-products on the intestinal architecture and function, inflammatory processes and oxidative stress at the intestinal level. Data on the associated signaling pathways and on the microbiota modulation by bioactive compounds from these by-products are also presented.

Evaluating Food Additives Based on Organic and Inorganic Salts as Antifungal Agents against Monilinia fructigena and Maintaining Postharvest Quality of Apple Fruit

A set of commonly used food additives was evaluated for their antifungal activity against the brown rot disease of fruits caused by the fungal pathogen Monilinia fructigena, which is one of the most economically important agents, causing important damage to pome fruits, such as pears and apples. The radial mycelial growth of the fungal pathogen was assessed in PDA amended with different concentrations (0.5, 2, 2.5, and 5%) of each additive. The results underlined that most of the additives displayed a significant inhibition of mycelial growth, with the extent of inhibition varying depending on the specific additive and concentration used. Five food additives showed high inhibition rates (above 88%), of which sodium bicarbonate, sodium carbonate, copper sulphate, and sodium hydroxide were the most effective, whereas ammonium carbonate, magnesium chlorite, and citric acid were the least effective. Interestingly, the coatings containing sodium bicarbonate, copper sulphate, and ammonium bicarbonate significantly reduced the incidence of brown rot disease in apples, but other additives were not effective, such as ammonium carbonate and magnesium sulphate. The anhydrous sodium sulphate used at a concentration of 2%, was found to be one of the least effective additives, with a reduction rate of 20%. Subsequently, food additives showing good growth inhibition rates and reduction in disease severity were then tested in semi-commercial trials at temperatures of 4 °C and 22 °C. The results indicated that these additives demonstrate effectiveness in controlling M. fructigena at specific concentrations, and lower temperatures (4 °C) can improve the efficiency of the control measures. In addition, the selected food additives exhibited significant antimicrobial activity against M. fructigena, suggesting their application as a promising alternative for managing brown rot disease in apple fruits.

Phenolic Compounds as Phytochemical Tracers of Varietal Origin of Some Autochthonous Apple Cultivars Grown in Serbia

Domesticated international (standard) apple cultivars, together with resistant apple cultivars are the core of the Serbian apple production. Furthermore, autochthonous cultivars are characterized by a good adaptability to the local environmental conditions and represent a valuable source of genetic variability, as well as an important source of the gene pool for further breeding programs. Additionally, they show a higher phenolic content and a stronger antioxidant activity, in comparison to commercial cultivars. Therefore, they are more likely to be used as a functional food. The subjects of this study were seventeen samples of fruits and leaves from autochthonous apple cultivars, five international standard cultivars, and six resistant apple cultivars. The phenolic profile was determined using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC), coupled with a diode array detector and a TSQ Quantum Access Max triple-quadrupole mass spectrometer. A total of twenty compounds were quantified in the samples. Most of the analyzed phenolics were detected in higher amounts in the peel, compared to the mesocarp. The results of the multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) indicate that 5-O-caffeoylquinic acid is present in the highest amount in the mesocarp, while in the peel and leaves, quercetin-glycosides were detected in the highest amount. According to the MANOVA: phloretin, phlorizin, 5-O-caffeoylquinic acid, kaempferol, and p-coumaric acid are present in significantly higher levels in the autochthonous cultivars, compared to the standard and resistant ones (in both fruits and leaves). Therefore, these compounds can be used as chemical tracers of the apple varietal origin.

Polyphenolics and Chemical Profiles of Domestic Norwegian Apple (Malus × domestica Borkh.) Cultivars

Using modern analytical techniques, a comprehensive study of the chemical composition of fruits from apple cultivars grown in Western Norway during 2019 and 2020 was done. Metals, sugars, organic acids, antioxidant tests, and polyphenol content have been observed. In all investigated samples, the most dominant sugars were glucose, fructose, and sucrose. Among 11 tested organic acids, the dominant was malic acid, followed by citric and maleic acid. The most common metal was potassium, followed by magnesium and zinc. The quantification of polyphenols showed that among the 11 quantified polyphenols, chlorogenic acid, quercetin 3-O-rhamnoside, quercetin 3-O-glucoside, quercetin, and phlorizin were the most abundant. A detailed study of the polyphenolic profile of nine investigated apple samples provided 30 identified polyphenolic compounds from the class of hydroxybenzoic and hydroxycinnamic acids, flavonoids, and dihydrochalcones. In addition to the identified 3-O-caffeoylquinic acid, its two isomers of 5-O-caffeoylquinic acid and three esters were also found. Present polyphenols of the tested apples provided significant data on the quality of Norwegian apples, and they contribute to the distinguishing of these apple samples.