Principal component analysis (PCA) of physicochemical compounds’ content in different cultivars of peach fruits, including qualification and quantification of sugars and organic acids by HPLC

The aim of this study was to determine the chemical composition in different cultivars of Prunus persica L. fruits with special focus on polyphenols, carotenoids, sugars and organic acids content. In addition, the PCA model was applied to all data to determine the most important variables that explain the relationships between twenty selected cultivars of peaches and to identify the most attractive cultivars. The conducted study showed that the most interesting cultivars from the point of view of direct consumption are: ‘Early redhaven’, ‘Candor’, ‘Harrow beauty’ due to the large size of fruit, rich juiciness, high maturity index, as well as above-average content of polyphenols and carotenoids. In turn, fruits with medium-sized stones and fruits, a high content of dry matter and total sugars, and with a high content of carotenoids (‘Harrow beauty’, ‘Kijowska wczesna’, ‘Jersey land’), are ideal for the manufacture of healthy dried snacks. Additionally, juicy peaches with a high content of organic acids and bioactive compounds, i.e., ‘WB 258’, ‘Spring time’ and ‘Beta’, are suitable for the production of purees, smoothies, and juices. Finally, it has been shown that peach fruit is an interesting raw material with a varied chemical composition and nutritional value, strongly determined by the cultivar.