Physico-chemical and bioactive compounds characterization of apple ‘Gala’ mutants harvested at two different time points

Abstract

In the past years, new apple clones have been propagated on a large scale for their flavor characteristics and greater red color presence in the epidermis, which provide commercial advantages in national and international markets. The objective of this work was to evaluate the physicochemical characteristics and functional properties of ‘Galaxy’, ‘Imperial Gala’ and ‘Mondial Gala’ apples harvested in the city of Vacaria, RS, Brazil in two diferent harvesting time. The analyzed variables were pulp firmness (PF), total soluble solids (TSS), titratable acidity (TA), iodine-starch (IA), skin color (L*a*b*), total polyphenols, anthocyanins and antioxidant capacity of pulp and peel. The results obtained at the time of harvest show that the parameters of pulp firmness, titratable acidity, total soluble solids, anthocyanins and antioxidant activity of the peel presented a highly significant difference between the clones studied. The cultivar ‘Mondial Gala’ showed a different behavior from the other clones, in the values of firmness of pulp, acidity and total soluble solids, showing that these fruits were at a stage of maturation less advanced, ideal for long-term storage. The levels of total polyphenols and antioxidant capacity were significantly higher in the peel when compared to the pulp for the three clones and for the two harvest times. However, anthocyanin levels were higher for the Mondial Gala clone in both harvests, although anthocyanins and antioxidant capacity were better at harvest 2 for all clones, results that collaborate with more intense red color and thus better commercial quality.