Investigation of the nutritional and health values of apple land varieties

Abstract

In our research, we sought to answer the question whether the health-protecting values attributed to land varieties in folk medicine can be substantiated by laboratory analyses. In our experiments, nutritional (sugar and acid components) and health values (total antioxidant capacity and total polyphenol content) of eight apple land varieties were examined. Half of the land varieties investigated reached the fruit quality of the control ‘Golden Delicious’. Due to their very favorable glucose-to-fructose ratio, the consumption of ‘Bordás alma’, ‘Nyári édesalma’, ‘Jóalma’ and ‘Kapitány alma’ is more favorable in the diet of diabetic patients. The antioxidant capacity of ‘Pirosló bőralma’ and ‘Jóalma’, as well as the polyphenol content of ‘Piros pogácsa alma’, ‘Kapitány alma’ and ‘Vasalma’ are outstanding, two to three times higher than those of the control varieties. Land varieties with a favorable sugar composition and high antioxidant and polyphenol content can be used as functional foods.