Effect of fruit ripening on bioactive compounds and antioxidant capacity of apple beverages

Abstract The effect of the variety (Gala, Lis Gala and Fuji Suprema) and the ripening stage (unripe, ripe and senescent) of apples on the phenolic compounds (HPLC) and antioxidant capacity (FRAP and DPPH) of apple juices and ciders were evaluated. The phenolic content of the Gala and Lis Gala apple juices decreased from the unripe to ripe stages and increased from the ripe to the senescent stages, while in the case of Fuji Suprema these values decreased with senescence. Fermentation caused a reduction (17 to 50%) of phenolics and the most affected were hydroxycinnamic acids and flavanols. Principal component analysis confirmed the influence of variety, and the use of multivariate regression (PLS) made it possible to create significant models (p < 0.05) to predict the antioxidant activity. The phenolic composition of the juices at different ripening stages was related to the variety of apple, which influenced the effect of fermentation on these compounds