Total antioxidant capacity and phenolics content in fresh apricots

Food quality analysis addressed to the nutraceutical profile is becoming consistent highlighting the possibility to use the antioxidant capacity as further quality index of many fruit and vegetables species. In this study, the total antioxidant status of several apricot cultivars differing in ripening calendar, pomological traits and geographical origin have been determined by Trolox Equivalent Antioxidant Capacity (TEAC) assay and total phenol content by Folin-Ciocalteu (F-C) method. Among the cultivars analysed, the variability on the antioxidant capacity and total phenol content have been consistent, showing an increasing amount of antioxidants in the late ripening genotypes. These genotypes exhibited the best combination of pomological and nutraceutical traits with an excellent fruit qualitative profile.