Bioactive compounds and fruit quality traits of Vesuvian apricot cultivars (Prunus armeniaca L.) and use of skin cover colour as a harvesting index

The qualitative/nutritional characteristics of apricots mainly depend on cultivar, cultivation area and ripening stage. Thus, it is important to characterise different cultivars and harvest fruits at the optimum time. There is no conclusive evidence about harvesting indexes in apricot for decision making about the best harvesting time. Moreover, little is known about fruit qualitative/nutritional characteristics of autochthonous cultivars of the Campania region (Italy), mainly grown in the area of Vesuvius volcano. Therefore, fruit attributes of the Vesuvian cultivars Ceccona, Vitillo, and Pellecchiella were evaluated during ripening with the aim of characterizing the qualitative/nutritional value of the fruit and specifying a reliable harvesting index. Cultivar, picking time and skin cover colour affected all the fruit qualitative/nutritional attributes considered. For the first time, a number of minor phenolic compounds were quantified in apricot. Ceccona was the richest in phenolic compounds, while Pellecchiella had the highest trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC). During ripening, the TEAC decreased on a per-gram basis and increased on a per-fruit-basis. Cultivar, picking time and skin cover colour had a great influence in determining the qualitative/nutritional value of the apricots, and overall Pellecchiella showed the best characteristics. The skin cover colour percentage may be a suitable harvesting index for the traditional Vesuvian apricot cultivars. A comprehensive description of the phenolic compounds and a dilution effect on apricot fruit TEAC is reported for the first time.