PHENOLIC COMPOSITION, BROWNING SUSCEPTIBILITY, AND CAROTENOID CONTENTOF SEVERAL APRICOT CULTIVARS AT MATURITY

Phenolic composition and susceptibility to browning were determined fo r nine apricot (Prunus armeniaca L.) cultivars. Chlorogenic and neochl orogenic acids, (+)-catechin and (-)-epicatechin, and rutin (or querce tin-3-rutinoside) were the major phenolic compounds in apricots. In ad dition to these compounds, other quercetin-3-glycosides and procyanidi ns have been detected. Chlorogenic acid content decreased rapidly duri ng enzymatic browning, but the susceptibility to browning seemed to be more strongly correlated with the initial amount of flavan-3-ols (def ined as catechin monomers and procyanidins). As chlorogenic acid is ce rtainly the best substrate for polyphenol oxidase, the development of brown pigments depended mainly on the flavan-3-ol content.