Changes and Correlations of Some Phenolic Compounds in Four Apricot Cultivars at Different Maturity Levels

The phenolic compounds are accepted as supporting human health against various vital diseases. Fruits are one of the main sources of phenolic compounds to be consumed, and apricot is one of the most important fruits in terms of the phenolic compound profile. This study was conducted to compare the phenolic compound profiles of apricot cultivars at different maturity levels. For this aim, four Turkish apricot cultivars—two of which are consumed fresh while the other two are suitable for drying—were selected and harvested at two different maturity levels: harvest and commercial maturity. The phenolic compound profiles of the obtained samples, including eight important phenolic compounds, were analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The obtained data was statistically evaluated, including correlation analyses performed for different cultivars and maturity levels. Results showed that when some of the phenolic compounds increase at higher maturity levels, some of them decrease and some of them do not show a significant difference. The change during ripening varies depending on the cultivar. Similarly, the correlations among the phenolic compounds occur differently at different maturity levels and in different cultivars. In terms of the total amount of the phenolic compounds examined as part of the study, three of the cultivars showed lower contents at commercial maturity, and the cultivars for drying purposes showed more than 40% higher contents at both maturity levels. ‘Hacıhaliloğlu’ cultivar in particular but also ‘Kabaaşı’ were found to be advantageous in terms of phenolic compound contents.