HPLC-DAD-ESIMS analysis of phenolic compounds in nectarines, peaches, and plums

The phenolic compounds of 25 peach, nectarine, and plum cultivars were stud ied and quantified by HPLC-DAD-ESIMS. Hydroxycinnamates, procyanidins, flav onols, and anthocyanins were detected and quantified. White and yellow fles h nectarines and peaches, and yellow and red plums, were analyzed at two di fferent maturity stages with consideration of both peel and flesh tissues. HPLC-MS analyses allowed the identification of procyanidin dimers of the B- and A-types, as well as the presence of procyanidin trimers in plums. As a general rule, the peel tissues contained higher amounts of phenolics, and anthocyanins and flavonols were almost exclusively located in this tissue. No clear differences in the phenolic content of nectarines and peaches were detected or between white flesh and yellow flesh cultivars. There was no c lear trend in phenolic content with ripening of the different cultivars. So me cultivars, however, had a very high phenolic content, For example, the w hite flesh nectarine cultivar Brite Pearl (350-460 mg/kg hydroxycinnamates and 430-550 mg/kg procyanidins in flesh) and the yellow flesh cv. Red Jim ( 180-190 mg/kg hydroxycinnamates and 210-330 mg/kg procyanidins in flesh), c ontained 10 times more phenolics than cultivars such as Fire Pearl (38-50 m g/kg hydroxycinnamates and 23-30 mg/kg procyanidins in flesh). Among white flesh peaches, cultivars Snow King (300-320 mg/kg hydroxycinnamates and 660 -695 mg/kg procyanidins in flesh) and Snow Giant (125-130 mg/kg hydroxycinn amates and 520-540 mg/kg procyanidins in flesh) showed the highest content. The plum cultivars Black Beaut and Angeleno were especially rich in phenol ics.