Veränderung der Fruchtinhaltsstoffe bei Genotypen von Prunus domestica während der Reifeentwicklung und Lagerung

In the present paper the influence of maturation and storage on the inner quality of different genotypes of Prunus domestica L. was investigated. Genotypes 'Topper', 'Topking', 'Hauszwetsche' and 'Tophit' were harvested from early to overripe ripening stages over a period of three years. The harvested fruits were evaluated freshly and additionally after storage periods of two and three weeks. Analytical key parameters were colour L*a*,b*, Hunter system), total titratable acid, soluble dry mass (0 Brix), total phenolics, antioxidant capacity and sensorial acceptance. As could be expected, there was an increase of soluble dry mass and a decrease of acidity during maturation and during post-harvest storage. The most significant effects happened in the first two weeks of storage, whereas only marginal alterations could be observed in the third week. Among the sensorial properties, particularly sweetness and sourness were deciding about the general popularity of the fruits. There was a large acceptance of fresh overripe fruits picked at the end of the harvesting period. Statistical correlations between analytical and sensorial parameters were mainly found between sweetness and soluble dry mass and between the attributes sourness/unripe/green/astringency and total acidity. The overall popularity of the fruits maintained by the test panel did not correlate with any analytical parameter, but was more related to sensorial properties like sweetness, sourness, astringency or fruitiness. Consumers acceptance of the fruits was closely connected to popularity. The results showed that popularity, respectively quality was depending on complex interactions of different parameters such as sugar content, total acidity, fruit texture and particularly aroma.