Phenolic profile and antioxidant properties of thirty one apple cultivars grown under the same edaphoclimatic conditions

This study analyzes the antioxidant properties and phenolic composition of 31 apple ( Malus domestica Borkh.) cultivars from Alcobaça region of Portugal. While numerous studies have explored apple phenolics, very few have compared such a large number of cultivars grown in the same region, thereby eliminating the influence of edaphoclimatic factors and focusing more on the plants' genetic variability. By assessing different fruit parts—peel, seeds, and mesocarp—this research provides a comprehensive characterization of bioactive compound distribution. Ultra-High Performance Liquid Chromatography – Time of Flight – Mass Spectrometry was used to quantify 49 distinct phenolic compounds, while antioxidant activity was evaluated through DPPH radical scavenging and other relevant assays. Results confirm that peels contain the highest phenolic and flavonoid concentrations, reaching up to 185.3 μg of chlorogenic Acid per gram of fresh fruit followed by seeds, with mesocarp showing significantly lower levels. Cultivars such as Fujion, Redefu20, and Smeralda exhibited high phenolic content, totaling between 541.46 and 619.83 μg of phenolic compounds per gram of fresh fruit, while Bigbucks, Challenger, and Story Inored stood out for their antioxidant capacity. • Comparative study of 31 apple cultivars grown under the same edaphoclimatic conditions. • Peels and seeds showed the highest phenolic content and antioxidant capacity. • UHPLC-ToF-MS identified and quantified 49 phenolic compounds in different fruit parts. • Fujion, Redefu20, and Smeralda had the highest phenolic content among all cultivars. • Findings support the valorization of apple by-products in food, nutraceutical, and cosmetic industries.