Abstract:

Three apple varieties including Qinguan, Fuji and Granny Smith were selected to investigate the quality characteristics during growth and development periods. The contents of total soluble solids and vitamin C were determined according to relevant Chinese national standards. The content of total acids was determined according to Trade Standards. The fruit firmness was determined using texture analyzer. The aromatic components in ripe fruits were analyzed by head-space solid phase microextraction (HS-SPME) combined with gas chromatography-mass spectrophotometer (GC-MS). Results showed a significant difference in the above indicators among the apple varieties during growth period. The content of total acids, ascorbic acid, and fruit firmness of the apple varieties exhibited a decrease trend, while the content of total soluble solids and soluble solid-acid ratio exhibited an increase trend. Qinguan and Fuji contained higher soluble solids than Granny Smith and Qinguan exhibited little change in fruit firmness during fruit development. Granny Smith contained higher total acids and vitamin C than Qinguan and Fuji. Added together, a total of 43 aromatic compounds were identified from three ripe apple varieties. There were significant differences in aromatic components among the apple varieties. Major aromatic components in Qinguan and Fuji were esters and alcohols, which belonged to fruit flavor type; however, major aromatic components in Granny Smith were aldehydes and alcohols, which belonged to green flavor type. Ethyl caproate, hexyl acetate and 2-methyl-1-n-butyl in Fuji and Qinguan had smaller difference. Compared to Granny Smith, 2-methyl-1-n-butyl in Fuji and Qinguan exhibited a significant difference. The content of (E)-2-hexenal in Granny Smith was 37.042%, which was much higher than that in Qinguan.

Key words: apple fruit, growth and development, quality characteristics