Chemical Constituents and Antioxidant Activity of Sweet Cherry at Different Ripening Stages

TLDR

Sweet cherry development and ripening involve changes in fruit size, color, and quality. The study evaluated 14 ripening stages of sweet cherries, measuring color, texture, sugars, organic acids, total antioxidant activity, phenolics, anthocyanins, and ascorbic acid. Early ripening stages show rapid growth, color change, and sugar accumulation, while antioxidant compounds decline until stage 8 when they rise sharply, and the authors recommend harvesting at stage 12 for optimal quality. Keywords: development, ripening, firmness, color, anthocyanins, total antioxidant activity, total phenolics, sugars, organic acids.

Abstract

The development and ripening process of sweet cherry (Prunus avium L. cv. 4-70) on the tree was evaluated. For this purpose, 14 different stages were selected in accordance with homogeneous size and color. Some parameters related to fruit quality, such as color, texture, sugars, organic acids, total antioxidant activity, total phenolic compounds, anthocyanins, and ascorbic acid were analyzed. The results revealed that in sweet cherry, the changes in skin color, glucose and fructose accumulation, and softening process are initiated at early developmental stages, coinciding with the fast increase in fruit size. Also, the decrease in color parameter a* was correlated with the greatest accumulation of total anthocyanins. Ascorbic acid, total antioxidant activity (TAA), and total phenolic compounds decreased during the early stages of sweet cherry development but exponentially increased from stage 8, which coincided with the anthocyanin accumulation and fruit darkening. TAA showed positive correlations (r2 = 0.99) with both ascorbic acid and total phenolic compounds and also with the anthocyanin concentration from stage 8. Taking into account the reduced shelf life of sweet cherry and to ensure that these fruits reach consumers with the maximum organoleptic, nutritional, and functional properties, it is advisable to harvest sweet cherries at stage 12 of ripening. Keywords: Development; ripening; firmness; color; anthocyanins; total antioxidant activity; total phenolics; sugars; organic acids