1. Physico-chemical characteristics of apricot (Prunus armeniaca L.) grown in Northern Areas of Pakistan
- Author
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Ali, Sartaj, Masud, Tariq, and Abbasi, Kashif Sarfraz
- Subjects
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APRICOT , *PLANT growth , *FRUIT varieties , *FRUIT composition , *ANTIOXIDANTS - Abstract
Abstract: In order to ascertain physico-chemical, functional and geometrical traits of apricot fruit from Northern Areas of Pakistan, six predominantly grown varieties namely, Alman, Habi, Khakhas, Mirmalik, Neeli and Shai were selected in this study. Proximate composition as crude fat (2.1–3%), crude protein (6.18–8.7%), crude fiber (11.85–13.6%), ash (9.45–12.1%) and total sugars (56.8–64.9%) were determined on dry weight basis. The data showed variations among the investigated parameters in all varieties. Functional properties of apricot fruit viz. ascorbic acid (67.39–90.94mg/100g), total phenolic compounds (4590–7310mgGAE/100g), total carotenoids (10.09–18.13mg/100g β-carotene) and antioxidant activity (56.84–82.33%) were also recorded. The data pertaining to mineral contents (mg/100g) revealed K as the predominant element (2040–3000) followed by P, Mg, Ca, Na and Fe among all the tested samples. Furthermore, geometrical characters of apricot varieties were also determined as important sensory and technological attributes on fresh weight basis. The result from the present study showed that all the tested varieties are highly nutritious and rich in functional components. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]
- Published
- 2011
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