Effects of genotype and harvest year on phytochemical and fruit quality properties of Turkish fig genotypes

Abstract

This study was conducted over three harvest years to determine effects of Turkish fig genotypes grown in the eastern Mediterranean region of Turkey on phytochemical and fruit quality characters. Fruit quality characters such as fruit weight, fruit width, fruit neck length, total soluble solids (TSS), pH, acidity, and TSS/acidity were examined. Total phenolics (TP), total anthocyanins (TA), antioxidant capacity (TAC), fructose (FRUC), glucose (GLUC), sucrose (SUC), and variables describing fruit skin and flesh colors (L*, a*, C, and hº) were also determined. Analysis of the data obtained from 12 fig genotypes, and three harvest years demonstrated a highly significant influence of genotype on phytochemical and fruit quality characters. ‘Bursa Siyahı’, which has dark black fruit skin, had the highest levels of TA (113.6 μg cy-3-rutinoside g-1 fw), TP (105.2 mg GAE/100 g fw), and TAC (10.9 mmol Fe2+ kg-1 fw). Three yearly averages of fruit weight ranged from 22.8 g (‘Sarı İncir’) to 57.5 g (‘Bursa Siyahı’), and ostiole width ranged from 0.9 mm (‘Bursa Siyahı’) to 3.7 mm (31-IN-16). These results indicate that TP (r=0.77) contents correlated moderately to TAC, more so than with TA (r=0.56). Both FRUC and SUC were negatively correlated with TA (r=-0.34 and r=-0.42, respectively). These data demonstrate that genotype is the main influence on the phytochemical and fruit quality characters of figs.