Genotypic variation in physicochemical traits and nutritional composition of locally recognized Crataegus germplasm from northwestern Iran

Abstract Local hawthorn genotypes are often distinguished by fruit appearance and taste, but these distinctions are rarely supported by integrated compositional data. This study evaluated four locally recognized Crataegus genotypes from the Maragheh region of northwestern Iran using morphological, physicochemical, proximate, mineral, soluble sugar, organic acid, and derived quality traits. Fruits were collected from three independent trees per genotype, each considered a biological replicate; morphological traits were recorded on 12 fruits per genotype, with four fruits selected from each replicate. Sugars and organic acids were quantified by HPLC, mineral elements by atomic absorption spectrophotometry, and proximate composition according to AOAC procedures. Data were analyzed using ANOVA or Welch’s ANOVA, post-hoc tests, PCA, HCA, and Pearson correlation analysis. Genotype significantly affected all traits except sucrose. ‘Yayshahri’ had the largest fruits and the highest fresh weight, TSS, protein, carbohydrates, and energy value. ‘Eshan’ had the highest glucose, fructose, total soluble sugars (22.20 ± 0.23 g 100 g⁻¹ FW), total organic acids (6.89 ± 0.02 g 100 g⁻¹ FW), and sugar/acid ratio. ‘Yayshahri’ exhibited the highest TSS/organic acid ratio, indicating genotype-dependent variation in sugar–acid balance. ‘Shalilvand A’ showed the highest Ca and Mg concentrations, whereas ‘Shalilvand B’ had the highest K concentration. Citric acid was dominant in three genotypes, while ‘Eshan’ had the highest succinic and malic acid contents, whereas its citric acid content was the lowest among the studied genotypes. PCA separated the genotypes, with the first two components explaining 87.8% of the total variation, and HCA supported genotype-specific clustering. These results provide baseline evidence that locally recognized Maragheh hawthorn genotypes differ in measured fruit-quality profiles.