Quality of apple fruit: anatomical features and chemical composition

Abstract

Aims. To study the anatomical structure of the fruit of new apple cultivars, to determine their density and important chemical components. Methods. The research was conducted by biological, laboratory, microscopic, and statistical methods. Comparison and generalization, systematization of literature data were used. Results. Analysis of the parameters of the apple fruit peel of three apple cultivars showed that the highest values were obtained when measuring anatomical sections of ‘Red Jonaprince’ cultivar, and the thinnest fruit peel was found in ‘Honey Crisp’. The parenchyma of ‘Red Jonaprince’ apple fruit was more homogeneous, unlike the fruit of ‘Belida’. The obtained anatomical sections of the structure of the texture of apples of new apple cultivars correlated with the measurements of fruit density. The dry soluble solids content varied from 13.6 to 15.7% depending on the cultivar, with an average of 14.6%. The sugars quantity was highest in the 'Belida' fruit (12.66 %). The highest organic acids content was in apples of the ‘Red Jonaprince’ (0.56 %). The lowest quantity of organic acids was in the fruits of apples of the ‘Honey Crisp’ (0.28 %). The sugar-acid index of the studied apple cultivars varied from 19.3 to 37.2 with an average value of 30.9. The highest taste qualities were found in the fruits of the ‘Belida’, and the lowest score was given to apples of the ‘Red Jonaprince’. Conclusions. The structure of the fruit of the apple tree variety ‘Honey Crisp’ was the most homogeneous and contained rather large cells, and in the sensory analysis was characterised by the highest juiciness. The ‘Belida’ variety was distinguished by the content of dry soluble substances and sugars in the fruit, and ‘Іdared’ by the amount of organic titratable acids.