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Pomological and Nutraceutical Properties in Apricot Fruit: Cultivation Systems and Cold Storage Fruit Management

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Abstract

We have investigated the effect of cultivation systems and fruit post-harvest management on the antioxidant properties of apricot fruits. Trees of five cultivars ‘Tyrinthos’, ‘Cafona’, ‘Bella d’Italia’, ‘Vitillo’ and ‘Pellecchiella’ were cultivated under integrated and organic systems. Fruits were collected at full maturity stage and analyzed either immediately or after storage at 4±0.5 °C and 85% of relative humidity for seven and 14 days. The main pomological traits (weight, colour, flesh firmness, total soluble sugars, titratable acidity) and antioxidant properties were analyzed. The total antioxidant capacity (TAC by TEAC method), total phenols content (TP by Folin-Ciocalteu method) and carotenoid content by HPLC-DAD were monitored. Cultivar characterization by principal component analysis (PCA) indicated a large variability on pomological and antioxidant properties of apricot fruits. ‘Bella d’Italia’ showed better TAC and TP values compared to the other cultivars. ANOVA interactions between cultivar and cultivation system (organic/integrated) were found for the antioxidant properties. These interactions may help to select a set of genotypes with better performances under organic system, which in our study might be indicated in ‘Cafona’ and ‘Bella d’Italia’.

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Acknowledgement

Thanks to Philip Schiff from the Department of Physics and Astronomy, Stony Brook University (United States) for the English revision of the text and his helpful comments.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna di Studi Universitari e di Perfezionamento, Piazza Martiri della Libertà 33, 56127, Pisa, Italy

    Annamaria Leccese & Susanna Bartolini

  2. INRA, Université d’Avignon, UMR408 Sécurité et Qualité des Produits d’Origine Végétale, F-84000, Avignon, France

    Sylvie Bureau, Maryse Reich & M. G. C. Catherine Renard

  3. INRA, Unité de Génétique et d’Amélioration des Fruits et Légumes, BP94, F-84143, Montfavet, France

    Jean-Marc Audergon

  4. Alsia, AASD Pantanello, SS 106 Jonica km 448,2, 75010, Metaponto, Matera, Italy

    Carmelo Mennone

  5. Dipartimento di Coltivazione e Difesa delle Specie Legnose ‘G. Scaramuzzi’, Facoltà di Agraria, Pisa University, Via del Borghetto 80, Pisa, Italy

    Raffaella Viti

Authors
  1. Annamaria Leccese
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  2. Sylvie Bureau
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  3. Maryse Reich
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  4. M. G. C. Catherine Renard
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  5. Jean-Marc Audergon
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  6. Carmelo Mennone
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  7. Susanna Bartolini
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Correspondence to Annamaria Leccese.

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Leccese, A., Bureau, S., Reich, M. et al. Pomological and Nutraceutical Properties in Apricot Fruit: Cultivation Systems and Cold Storage Fruit Management. Plant Foods Hum Nutr 65, 112–120 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11130-010-0158-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11130-010-0158-4

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