Multivariate Cherry Quality Assessment Using Morphological, Biochemical and Volatile Compound Traits

ABSTRACT

This study was carried out to evaluate fruit quality of five sweet cherry cultivars grown in Morocco, namely, Burlat, Van, Cerisette, Napoleon and Coeur de pigeon. Significant differences (p˂0.05) were observed across the five cultivars in fruit weight (5.24–8.72 g), geometric mean diameter (14.22–16.36 mm), pH (3.48–4.12), soluble solid content (17.70–24.50 °Brix), total phenolics (426.44–485.69 mg GAE/100 g fresh weight (fw)), total proanthocyanidins (51.17–131.20 mg CE/100 g fw) and total anthocyanins (194.53–267.67 mg cya-3-glu/100 g fw). The antioxidant activity was evaluated by three assays. The values were 11.96–21.04, 16.48–63.96 and 9.62–15.65 mmol TE/g for DPPH scavenging test, FRAP and ABTS, respectively. Volatile compounds were identified and semi-quantified in sweet cherry fruit using solid-phase microextraction in combination with gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (SPME-GC/MS). Nine volatile compounds (benzaldehyde, nonanal, ethyl hexanoate, ethyl octanoate, γ-terpinene, β-pinene, limonene, linalool and 2-ethyl-1-hexanol) were detected in all sweet cherry cultivars. Aldehydes compounds were the most abundant in sweet cherry aroma, followed by terpenes and esters. Correlation between all parameters showed varying trends.

KEYWORDS:

• Sweet cherry
• cultivars
• antioxidant activities
• polyphenols
• volatile compounds

Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the MESRSFC and the CNRST of the Kingdom of Morocco in the priority areas of research valorization scientific and technological by innovation of local products: aromatic and medicinal plants in IAA and ICPC (R2BINNOVA) code: PPR-B-R2BINOV-Mahrouz-FS-UCA-Marrakech and by the Mécanisme Compétitif Recherche Développement Vulgarization (MCRDV-Cerisier-2016) under the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Rural Development, Water and Forests.