Assessment of Morphological Traits and Fruit Metabolites in Eleven Fig Varieties (Ficus Carica L.)

In the present study, morphological traits, organic acids, sugars, total phenols, total flavonoids, total anthocyanins, total anthocyanidins, antioxidant activity and color parameters such as lightness(L*), Chroma (c*) and hue angle (h degrees) were investigated in 11 local and introduced fig cultivars cultivated in Moroccan climate. Since only limited information on that topic is available in the literature, this study was performed in order to compare local clones with some of introduced varieties based on their morphological and biochemical attributes. Results showed highly significant differences among genotypes. The cultivar 'Kadota' had the most promising morphological traits. Reducing sugars levels were slightly similar among all cultivars. Thus, glucose varied from 5.55 +/- 0.27 to 29.94 +/- 0.81 g.kg(-1) dw, while fructose amounts were in the range of 6.23 +/- 0.28-28.15 +/- 0.78 g.kg(-1) dw. 'Palmera' exhibited the highest level of Malic acid (4.99 +/- 0.2 g.kg(-1)). The latter was predominant in all cultivars. Total phenols, flavonoids and total anthocyanins were, generally, abundant in dark-colored cultivars, while total proanthocyanidins were dominant in light-colored ones. The local cultivars 'Fassi' and 'Noukali' contained the highest amounts of total phenols and total anthocyanins, respectively (524.74 +/- 35.9mg GAE 100 g(-1) dw and 23.77 +/- 6.41 cyanidin-3-rutinoside/100 gdw). Free radical scavenging activity (DPPH and ABTS) was, generally, higher in light-colored figs, while, ferric reducing ability (FRAP) was generally higher in dark skin-colored cultivars. The study confirmed the effectiveness of combining morphological and biochemical analyses in fig assessment and its use pre-breeding programs of the species in Morocco.