ISSN 2756-326X
Advances in Agriculture and Agricultural Sciences ISSN 2756-326X Vol. 6 (11), pp. 001-008, November, 2020. © International Scholars Journals
Full Length Research Paper
Characteristics of organic acids in the fruit of different pear species
Shoufeng Sha1,2, Juncai Li2, Jun Wu1 and Shaoling Zhang1*
1College of Horticulture, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095 China.
2Liaoning Institute of Fruit Science, Xiongyue, 115009 China.
Accepted 05 September, 2020
Abstract
The contents of organic acids in the fruit of 40 cultivars of four major pear species, Pyrus ussuriensis, Pyrus bretschneideri, Pyrus pyrifolia, and Pyrus communis, were examined using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The results showed that the major components of organic acids present in the pear fruit were malic and citric acids. The total organic acid content and the individual contents of malic, citric, and quinic acids were significantly higher in the fruit of P. ussuriensis than in the other three species. Among the ten organic acids examined, both malic and citric acids exhibited highly significant positive correlation with quinic acid, whereas extremely significant negative correlation was observed between acetic and lactic acids, and between succinic and fumaric acids. Furthermore, significant positive correlation was observed between malic and citric acids, and between quinic acid and shikimic acids, whereas significant negative correlation was found between quinic and tartaric acids. The differences in the contents of the 10 individual organic acids and the total organic acid content in the fruit of the 40 pear cultivars reached a significant and strong level.
Key words: Pear, fruit, quality, organic acid, difference, correlation.