Fate of Apple Peel Phenolics during Cool Storage

• Published in: Journal of agricultural and food chemistry 2001-05, Vol.49 (5), p.2283-2289
• Main Authors: Golding, John B, McGlasson, W. Barry, Wyllie, S. Grant, Leach, David N
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; Biological and medical sciences; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid - methods; Cold Temperature; Economic plant physiology; Food Handling; Food industries; Fructification, ripening. Postharvest physiology; Fruit and vegetable industries; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General pharmacology; Growth and development; Malus - chemistry; Medical sciences; Pharmacognosy. Homeopathy. Health food; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Phenols - analysis; Spectrophotometry, Ultraviolet; Time Factors
• ISSN: 0021-8561; 1520-5118
• DOI: 10.1021/jf0015266

Consumption of certain phenolics in the diet is considered beneficial to human health. In this study, individual phenolics were measured by diode-array HPLC at monthly intervals in the peel of Granny Smith, Lady Williams, and Crofton apple cultivars stored in air at 0 °C for 9 months. The concentrations of total phenolics significantly differed among the cultivars examined, with Lady Williams peel having significantly more phenolics (over 4000 μg·g-1 peel fresh weight) than Crofton (2668 μg·g-1 peel fresh weight) and Granny Smith, which had the lowest concentration of total phenolics (1275 μg·g-1 peel fresh weight). There were also significant differences in individual phenolics among cultivars and during storage. Quercetin glycosides were the only flavonols identified, with quercetin rhamnoglucoside being the most abundant phenolic in the peel. Chlorogenic acid was the major cinnamic acid derivative, with high concentrations, up to 412 μg·g-1 peel fresh weight, in Crofton peel. A pre-storage diphenylamine (DPA) treatment had few significant effects on peel phenolic metabolism. Where differences did occur, fruit treated with DPA retained higher concentrations of total peel phenolics during storage than fruit not treated with DPA. Storage of all cultivars for up to 9 months in air at 0 °C induced few significant changes in the peel phenolic concentrations. This indicates that phenolic metabolism in apple peel is relatively stable, and the health benefits of phenolics in apple peel should be maintained during long-term storage. Keywords: Malus spp.; phenolics; storage; peel; DPA