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In the Croatian apple germplasm, there are, presumably, unique genotypes that have not yet been documented in reference molecular databases. Due to similarities between accessions, incorrect names are often used, which creates a problem in the identification of accessions. Overall, 169 apple accessions and 11 reference cultivars from the largest ex situ apple collection in the Republic of Croatia were investigated within this study. The examined accessions have been genotyped using SSR markers. In order to assess the advantage of a high-resolution marker system, such as SNPs, compared to low-resolution markers, such as SSRs, a subset of 23 unique apple accessions and eight reference cultivars were genotyped using the 480K Affymetrix Axiom SNP array. Results obtained through the use of two marker systems revealed 26 synonyms, 40 duplicates, 13 mislabeling accessions, 45 accessions with confirmed identity (known cultivars), and 45 unique accessions, as well as the true identity of a large number of accessions, currently maintained at the Croatian National Apple Germplasm Bank. In order to investigate the pomological variability of unique apples, a three-year study was carried out on eleven pomological traits. The researched germplasm shows an exceptional diversity of pomological properties. Many of the accessions can be considered unique, and the results of the pomological characterization indicated that this germplasm contains valuable traits of interest for future breeding programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chokeberries are a subject of numerous studies due to a high phenolic compound content, antioxidant properties and potential positive influence on the health. Effects of weather conditions on fruit quality attributes, phenolic compounds and antioxidant capacity of chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa) juice over three consecutive years were investigated. Total phenolic content and total fl avonoids range were from 8834 to 11093 mg/L and from 6993 to 9710 mg/L, respectively. High variations and discrepancy during different growing seasons are due to the different air temperature, sunlight and rainfall rate. The highest concentrations of anthocyanins and phenolics were observed in fruits harvested in 2012, which is most likely due to the favorable weather conditions (temperature and bright sunshine hours). All chokeberry juices possess high antioxidant activity (12.9-14.6 mmol/L; 128-167 mmol/L). Strong correlation implies that fl avonoids and non-fl avonoids were the major contributors to the antioxidant capacity. This study indicates that although the examined properties vary considerably through the growing seasons (p≤0.05), chokeberry juices can serve as a good source of bioactive phytochemicals in a human diet. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]