PHENOLIC-COMPOUNDS AND THEIR CHANGES IN APPLES DURING MATURATION AND COLD-STORAGE

Phenolic compounds have been determined by HPLC in the flesh and skin of three apple cultivars (Golden Delicious, Empire, Rhode Island Greening) during maturation and cold storage. The main phenolic compounds in all three apple cultivars were found to be epicatechin and procyanidin B2, rather than chlorogenic acid which previously had been reported as the major phenolic compound in apples. The concentration of individual phenolics in apple flesh decreased sharply during the early stage of development and then remained relatively constant during maturation and storage. There was a direct correlation between concentration of polyphenols in the flesh and in the skins. The tendency to brown decreased throughout the fruit development and maturation period. © 1990, American Chemical Society. All rights reserved.