Chemical compositional characterization of eight pear cultivars grown in China

The sugar, organic acid, amino acid and fatty acid compounds of eight commercial pear cultivars were identified and quantified using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) equipped with RI and UV detectors and gas-chromatography (GC) equipped with FID detector. The mineral composition was determined by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The results showed great quantitative differences in the composition of the pear cultivars. Fructose was the dominant sugar in the eight pear varieties, followed by glucose and sucrose, while malic acid was the principal organic acid. The C16:0, C18:0, C18:1, C18:2 and C18:3 fatty acids were clearly the most abundant fatty acids, and the C18 family comprised more than 70% of the total fatty acids content. Asparagine and serine were the principal amino acids. Potassium is the most abundant mineral, followed by magnesium and calcium. The results provide important information on how to make the best use of pear cultivars investigated for different uses, which is of significance for both technological research and processing practice. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.