Comparative Analysis Of Phytochemical Constituents, Antioxidant And Antimicrobial Activity, Phenolic And Protein Content Of Karaman-Grown Apples

A healthy diet, consisted of fruits and vegetables, has been known to be effective in the prevention of chronic diseases. Apples are a very significant part of the human diet since they are rich in phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity. Currently, Turkey is the fifth country for apple production in the world and Karaman province is the second biggest apple producer of Turkey. The aim of this study was the comparative investigation of phytochemical compositon, antioxidant and antimicrobial activities, total phenolic and protein content of apples. To mimic general public apple consumption, Golden Delicious, Red Delicious (Starking) and Granny Smith apple types, which are produced and consumed at the highest amount, were obtained from local market farmers in Karaman and water extracts of apples were investigated. Peel and fleshy parts of apples were separately peeled, dryed, grinded and extracted. Compositons of the water extracts were determined by gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy (GC-MS) technique and twelve different components were identified in investigated samples. The highest chemical composition ratio was predicted in Golden Delicious type apples. The highest antioxidant activity was determined in peels of the Starking type apples (5.59 mg/ml for 50% DPPH inhibiton) with corresponding total phenolic content (>40 µg/ml). Lowest antioxidant activity (16.53 µg/ml) was detected in peels of Granny Smith type apples. Antimicrobial activity was observed only in the peels of Golden Delicious type apples. Protein analysis revealed that protein concentrations in the peels are averagely 36% higher than the fleshy parts of the tested apple types.