The influence of ripening on the nutrient composition and antioxidant properties of New Zealand damson plums
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Date
2024-06
Type
Journal Article
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Fields of Research
ANZSRC::321002 Food properties (incl. characteristics and health benefits), ANZSRC::300204 Agricultural management of nutrients, ANZSRC::321004 Nutritional science, ANZSRC::300101 Agricultural biotechnology diagnostics (incl. biosensors), ANZSRC::3006 Food sciences, ANZSRC::3210 Nutrition and dietetics
Abstract
The current study pioneers a comprehensive exploration into the influence of ripening stages on the nutritional composition and antioxidant attributes of the New Zealand damson plums (Prunus domestica ssp. Insititia). Sampled at early-, mid-, and late-ripening stages from randomly selected plum trees, the investigation unveiled notable significant (p <.05) declines in multiple parameters as ripening progressed. Noteworthy reductions in dry matter (from 21% to 19.33%), stone weight (from 30.23% to 24.30%), total dietary fiber (from 3.15% to 2.5%), energy content (from 280 to 263 kJ/100 g), vitamin D3 (from 1.67 to 1.53 μg/100 g), vitamin A (from 4.2 to 3.87 μg/100 g), and specific minerals (e.g., Ca, Mg, and P) emerged as a hallmark of this progression. Additionally, plums harvested at the advanced ripening stage exhibited heightened moisture content in contrast to their early-stage counterparts. Conversely, ash, protein, carbohydrates, total sugar, and minerals (including K, Na, Zn, and Se) demonstrated no significant alteration (p >.05) across ripening stages. Remarkably, damson plums that were harvested at the end of the ripening stage displayed reduced phenolic content and total antioxidant activity compared to those acquired at the early–mid ripening phase. This research collectively highlights the substantive impact of harvesting time and ripening stage on the nutritional and antioxidant profiles of damson plums cultivated in New Zealand.
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© 2024 The Authors. Food Science & Nutrition published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.
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