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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Byron, Georgia » Fruit and Tree Nut Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #186898

Title: SELECTING NEW PEACH AND PLUM GENOTYPES RICH IN PHENOLIC COMPOUNDS AND ENHANCED FUNCTIONAL PROPERTIES

Author
item CISNEROS-ZEVALLOS, B - TEXAS A&M
item BYRNE, D - TEXAS A&M
item Okie, William
item CISNEROS-ZEVALLOS, L - TEXAS A&M

Submitted to: Food Chemistry
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/12/2005
Publication Date: 5/12/2005
Citation: Cisneros-Zevallos, B.A., Byrne, D., Okie, W.R., Cisneros-Zevallos, L. 2005. Selecting new peach and plum genotypes rich in phenolic compounds and enhanced functional properties. Food Chemistry. 96:273-280.

Interpretive Summary: Increasing recent interest in nutraceuticals and functional foods has led plant breeders to initiate selection of crops with higher than normal phenolic antioxidant contents such as blueberries and others. Similarly, the Prunus Breeding Program at Texas A&M University and the USDA Stone Fruit Breeding Program at Byron, GA, are working at developing red-fleshed peaches and plums with high levels of beneficial phenolic compounds for the fresh produce and processing market. Fourteen red-feshed plum and eight peach varieties were characterized for their total phenolic and anthocyanin contents. Selected rich phenolic types showed high antioxidant activity, stable colour properties and good antimicrobial activity. Results indicated positive correlations between phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity for both types of fruit. Colorants prepared from an anthocyanin rich plum genotype showed similar hue to that of synthetic colorant FD&C red 3 and higher stability than a commercial red grape colorant with respect to time, temperature and pH. Additionally, a selected rich phenolic plum genotype exhibited strong antimicrobial activity against Salmonella Enteritidis and Escherichia coli O157:H7. This study proposes that selection of crops high in phenolic compounds can be related to enhanced functional properties and opens the possibility of breeding fruits with targeted functional properties for the fresh produce and processing market.

Technical Abstract: Fourteen red-fleshed plum (Prunus salicina Erhr. and hybrids) and eight peach [Prunus persica (Batsch) L.] genotypes were characterized for their total phenolic and anthocyanin contents. Selected rich phenolic genotypes showed high antioxidant activity, stable colour properties and good antimicrobial activity. Results indicated positive correlations between phenolic compounds (r2 = 0.83) and antioxidant activity for both types of fruit. Colorants prepared from an anthocyanin rich plum genotype showed similar hue to that of synthetic colorant FD&C red 3 and higher stability than a commercial red grape colorant with respect to time, temperature and pH. Additionally, a selected rich phenolic plum genotype exhibited strong antimicrobial activity against Salmonella Enteritidis and Escherichia coli O157:H7. This study proposes that selection of crops high in phenolic compounds can be related to enhanced functional properties and opens the possibility of breeding fruits with targeted functional properties for the fresh produce and processing market.