Organic growing system produced plums with a higher content of bioactive compounds

Plums are mainly consumed fresh and are becoming increasingly popular as a result of their attractive appearance and extraordinary flavor. Spain produces about 8% of the total European plum production (3rd position) and is the main exporter (seasonal market) in the world. Europeans demand high quality fresh products, especially those with high organoleptic quality and nutritional value. For this reason, those characteristics have been important targets for breeding during the last decade. On the one hand, several reviews and articles generally state that organic fruits and vegetables have a higher amount of micronutrients and health-related secondary metabolites, such as phenolic compounds, carotenoids, vitamins and glucosinolates. On the other hand, other studies have not found the same effect on the final fruit quality, emphasizing the importance of the environmental parameters. The use of pesticides was reported to affect the secondary metabolism of plants, increasing or decreasing the concentrations of phenolic compounds, depending on the mechanism of action of the pesticide. Plums have a wide genetic basis that is reflected in different contents of antioxidant compounds. The nutritional quality of plums also depends on several pre-harvest and post-harvest factors such as irrigation, salinity, the rootstock used, mulching and postharvest treatments. About the study:- Thirteen Japanese plum cultivars (Prunus salicina Lindl.) grown under conventional and organic conditions were compared to evaluate the influence of the culture system on bioactive compounds.- The objective of the study was to evaluate the plums content of organic acids, anthocyanins, phenolic compounds, carotenoids and its antioxidant capacity- The study was performed during two consecutive seasons (2012 and 2013) Material and methodsEight fruits per tree and six trees per cultivar and treatment were harvested at commercial maturity and transported to the laboratory for analysis. Then, the flesh and pit were separated and each sample frozen in liquid nitrogen and milled. Next, the plum powder was lyophilised and ground again. The experimental design was a total randomized design with three replicates. The fertilization applied in the organic orchards was animal manure and cover crop, while the fertilizer used in the conventional orchards (detailed in the PDF, available below). Conclusion- Organic plum samples were found to have higher values of TAC, TPC and antioxidant capacity than conventional ones while no differences in TCC were found. - The main bioactive compounds contributing to the total antioxidant capacity of plums are phenols. - Genotype significantly affected the content of different bioactive compounds. - ?Showtime? had the highest TPC values and ?Golden Japan? and ?Santa Rosa? the lowest.- In conclusion, the organic growing system produced plums with a higher content of bioactive compounds, in addition to a lower impact on the environment. The whole study is available below and can be downloaded for free (below) Original title and authors:?Conventional and organic plums were compared to evaluate their bioactive compounds?Francisco Juli?n Cuevas, Inmaculada Pradas, Mar?a Jos? Ruiz?Moreno, Francisco Teodoro Arroyo, Luis Felipe Perez-Romero, Jos? Carlos Montenegro and Jos? Manuel Moreno?RojasPostharvest Technology and Agrifood Industry Area, Andalusian Institute of Agricultural and Fishering Research and Training (IFAPA), Alameda del Obispo, C?rdoba, Spain, Organic Production and Natural Resources, Andalusian Institute of Agricultural and Fishering Research and Training (IFAPA), Las Torres-Tomejil, Seville, SpainPLoS ONE?10(8): e0136596. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0136596 We are grateful to Jos? Manuel Moreno Rojas?for his?collaboration in preparing this extract of the work.Picture by biotrendis.com?