Effects of Altitude and Harvest Maturity on Fruit Darkening in ‘Hasanbey’ and ‘Kabaaşı’ Apricot Cultivars
摘要
Malatya province is the leading apricot-producing region of Türkiye, with ‘Hasanbey’ and ‘Kabaaşı’ being the most widely cultivated cultivars. This study aimed to investigate the enzymatic and biochemical changes in apricot fruits harvested at two altitudes (1000 and 1600 m) and two ripening stages (semi-ripe and fully ripe), and stored under normal atmosphere (NA) and modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) conditions. Total phenolic content (TPC) and polyphenol oxidase (PPO) activity were measured at 15-day intervals to evaluate their correlation with fruit browning. Browning was observed in semi-ripe ‘Kabaaşı’ fruits harvested at 1600 m, where TPC and PPO activity reached 963.17 mg GAE/kg FW and 2089.93 U/mg protein, respectively. In contrast, no browning occurred in fully ripe fruits or in the ‘Hasanbey’ cultivar. These results suggest that increased TPC and PPO activity may contribute to browning during storage and transport. Therefore, it is recommended to harvest ‘Kabaaşı’ apricots at a more advanced ripening stage to minimize quality losses.