Antioxidant capacity and phytochemical content of modern peach germplasm

Genotypic variation in antioxidant capacity and phytochemical compounds, such as total phenolics, flavonoids, and anthocyanin, was evaluated for three years in 21 cultivars, representing modern peach breeding germplasm available and/or produced in the U.S. market plus one advanced selection.
Accumulation of bioactive compounds was highly variable and influenced by genotype, flesh color, ripening season, and year.
The highest values of antioxidant capacity (›1000) and bioactive compounds across the three years were observed in the heirloom cultivars; white fleshed Georgia Belle and yellow fleshed Elberta, and in red-fleshed advanced selection BY99P4388. Antioxidant capacity was higher in 2013 than in 2012 and 2014. However, anthocyanin was significantly higher in 2012 than in the other two years.
Ripening season influenced accumulation of bioactive compounds, with antioxidant activity and phytochemical content increasing as the season progressed.
Antioxidant capacity was significantly and positively correlated with accumulation of flavonoids and total phenolics (r=0.822 and r=0.561, P‹0.01, respectively) across three years.
Improved knowledge of nutritional quality existing in modern peach germplasm will facilitate development of new peach cultivars with increased bioactive composition, thereby providing tastier and healthier food choices for consumers.

XIV EUCARPIA Symposium on Fruit Breeding and Genetics

A. Abdelghafar, K. Gasic, G. Reighard

bioactive compounds, genotype, flesh color, ripening season, Prunus persica

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2017.1172.25