Anthocyanin retention in four cherry species with distinct phenolic profiles during puree processing

Cherries are rich in anthocyanins, but processing often causes their degradation. In this study, we comparatively assessed the processing adaptability of four cherry species ( Prunus avium [PA], Prunus cerasus [PC], Prunus pseudocerasus [PP] and Prunus tomentosa [PT]) during thermal puree production. The phenolic composition of cherry berries exhibited variability among species. The dominant anthocyanins in PA, PC and PP were cyanidin-glycosides, while PT exhibited a distinctive profile where pelargonidin-3- O -rutinoside (Pg3R) accounted for 98%. After puree processing, the retention rate of total anthocyanins was 80% in PT , whereas PA and PP retained less than 20%. This superior stability is attributed to the dominance of Pg3R in PT, which was found to be more stable than cyanidin-based anthocyanins during puree processing. Furthermore, PT showed the highest retention rates of phenolic acids and flavonols. Pulping was identified as the critical control point for pigments retention since the greatest loss of anthocyanins occurred during this stage, suggesting that the non-thermal processing procedure should be carefully optimized for color retention. Overall, these findings provide the foundation for preserving the color and nutritional quality of cherry products and highlight PT as a promising raw material for deep processing, owing to its superior retention of bioactive compounds. • Comparative assessment of adaptability of four cherry species under identical puree processing. • P. tomentosa showed the highest retention rates of anthocyanins and flavonols. • Pg3R was more stable than cyanidin-glycosides during puree processing. • Pulping caused the greatest anthocyanin loss, marking it as the critical procedure. • P. tomentosa exhibits superior processing adaptability.