Annotation:
We extend the information dealt with the concentration and composition of antioxidants in selected apple varieties from IEB. The research activity of the Station of apple breeding is focused on research of resistance against diseases in apples and on breeding of scab resistant and powdery mildew tolerant apple varieties. Breeding for resistance to these diseases has a high priority throughout the world in view of minimizing the use of chemicals in fruit production.
The varieties are grown for commercial fruit production in countries of the European Union and in the USA mainly as organic apple production. Scab resistant apple varieties Red Topaz, Sirius and Karneval will be used in our research. One of the important markers of plant resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses is the level of antioxidants. On that ground, the content of carotenoids and phenolic compounds will be determined in selected varieties of apples. This information is important for consumers as apples are one of the most consumed fruits and represent the essential source of antioxidants in food. The information about the bioactive compound contents in apples is still not definite and these data demonstrate high specificity of every variety.
Our effort is to characterise carotenoid profiles, phenolic compounds content and phytoene synthase activity in new apple varieties selected in IEB. The detailed description of antioxidant profiles (as well as the profile of other phytochemicals) should be made when new species/fruits (e.g. exotic) are offered to consumers. The effect of physical conditions on the content of carotenoids and phenolic compounds will be measured during ripening, just after harvesting and in the course of storage. The effect of exogenous conditions during storage on the content of carotenoids will help optimize the storage conditions and enable to prevent carotenoid degradation during storage. The standard spectrometric methods (incl. LC-MS) will be optimized for determinations of carotenoids and phenolic compounds in apples. The obtained results will be published in impacted journals and/or in conferences.