The Physicochemical Attributes, Volatile Compounds, and Antioxidant Activities of Five Plum Cultivars in Sichuan

A comprehensive study on the fruit quality of a late-ripening mutant variety of plum

The fruit ripening period is an important factor affecting fruit quality and commercial value.To investigate why WSQCL ripens about 15 days later than QCL and why WSQCL has a more astringent flavor. This study analyzed the dynamics of fruit development and quality of three plum varieties, including "Late-maturing Qiangcuili" (WSQCL), 'Qiangcuili' (QCL), and 'Cuihongli' (CHL), to explore the differences in plums quality formation and the ripening period between the late-maturing variant WSQCL and its parental cultivars. The results indicated that the order of the fruit growth rate was QCL > WSQCL > CHL. During fruit development of the three plum varieties, the changes in soluble sugar (SS), titratable acid (TA), starch, chlorophyll, carotenoids, and phenolic contents were consistent, while the accumulation of total phenols, SS, and TA differed significantly between WSQCL and QCL. WSQCL had higher expression of genes related to phenolic compound synthesis than QCL, and phenolic compound synthesis was closely associated with the expression of PAL3, 4CL, HCT1, and CHS. Principal component analysis revealed differences between WSQCL and the other two varieties during the middle and late stages of fruit development. This study provides a reference for quality formation and development of the potential value of WSQCL.

Physicochemical Characteristics of 'Wushan Plum' Subjected to Three Drying Methods

In this study, the effects of hot air drying (HAD), freeze-drying (FD), and air-impingement jet drying (JD) on the physicochemical characteristics of 'Wushan plum' were analyzed. The results indicated three drying methods affected the browning, ascorbic acids, phenolic compounds, and antioxidant activities. The ascorbic acid content in HAD, FD, and JD samples was1.75±0.38, 5.88±0.56, and 4.73±0.75 mg/100 g, respectively, and the content of total phenolic compounds was 2.76±0.10, 3.05±0.04, and 2.83±0.24 mg/g, respectively. HAD samples had the lowest antioxidant activities as determined by DPPH⋅, ABTS+⋅, and FRAP assays. In addition, 11 phenolic compounds in 'Wushan plum' were quantified by UPLC-QqQ-MS/MS. The results showed that quercetin glycoside was the main compound, and its content was significantly reduced by these three drying methods. In all, this result indicated that JD would be a good choice for dying 'Wushan plum' considering the drying time, drying efficiency, and the integrated quality of the dried sample.

Soluble sugar, organic acid and phenolic composition and flavor evaluation of plum fruits

Plums (Prunus salicina and Prunus domestica) are prevalent in southwestern China, and have attracted interest owing to their delectable taste and exceptional nutritional properties. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the nutritional and flavor properties of plum to improve its nutritional utilization. Specifically, we determined the soluble sugars, organic acids, and phenolic components in 86 accessions using high-performance liquid chromatography. Notably, glucose, fructose, malic, and quinic acids were the predominant sweetness and acidity in plums, with sucrose contributing more to the sweetness of the flesh than the peel. Moreover, The peel contains 5.5 fold more phenolics than flesh, epicatechin, gallic acid, and proanthocyanidins C1 and B2 were the primary sources of astringency. Correlation and principal component analyses showed eight core factors for plum flavor rating, and a specific rating criterion was established. Conclusively, these findings provide information on the integrated flavor evaluation criteria and for enhancing optimal breeding of plums.

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.

The quality evaluation of 30 Asparagus officinalis L. varieties

Asparagus, a vital economic contributor, is a well-liked vegetable grown around the globe, and some secondary metabolites in its spear are beneficial to human health. Asparagus spears possess a significant quantity of nutrients and phytochemicals; however, the difference in these chemical compositions among various varieties has not been sufficiently studied. This work aimed to detect the chemical compositions of 30 varieties of asparagus and to assess them by principal component analysis (PCA). The results showed that the contents of these chemical compositions varied in varieties. Selenium (Se, 1.12-2.9 μg/100 g dry-weight [DW]) was abundant in asparagus, with an average dry matter content of 8.25%. Free amino acids (5.60-9.98 g/100 g DW) and polyphenols (6.34-8.67 mg/g DW) were both present in high amounts, along with flavonoids (4.218-8.22 mg/g DW) and protodioscin (0.44-1.96 mg/g DW). Correlation analysis, PCA, and hierarchical cluster analysis were used to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of asparagus. Atlas, Appolo, Jinggang 111, Jingke 2, and WS-1 were the top five varieties with comprehensive scores. This study provided valuable data for the breeding, quality improvement, processing, and utilization of asparagus varieties in the future.