Accumulation of Antioxidants in Apricot Fruit through Ripening: Characterization of a Genotype with Enhanced Functional Properties

two apricot genotypes, 'gonci magyarkajszi' and 'preventa' were assayed at three ripening stages for flesh color indices (l*, a*, b*, c* and ho), contents of total phenolics and vitamin c, and both water- and lipid-soluble antioxidant capacities (ferric reducing antioxidant power; 2,2'-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl scavenging activity; total radical scavenging activity; and photochem lipid-soluble antioxidant capacity) to compare their dynamics in the accumulation of antioxidant compounds and capacities through ripening. the increase in a*, b* and c* and decrease in ho during ripening represented a color shift from green to yellow and orange due to carotenoid accumulation. parallel to carotenoid accumulation, contents of total phenolics and vitamin c and antioxidant capacity increased significantly (p < 0.05) from unripe to fully ripe fruits. more phenolics and vitamin c accumulated in fully ripe fruits of 'preventa' than 'gonci magyarkajszi'. the accumulation patterns of these compounds were different: while the vitamin c contents in unripe fruit of 'preventa' and 'gonci magyarkajszi' were identical (approx. 6 mg/100 g fresh weight), unripe 'preventa' contained even more phenolics (approx. 12 mmolga/l) than fully ripe 'gonci magyarkajszi' (8 mmolga/l). our results confirm that fully ripe 'preventa' fruits are characterized by outstanding functional properties due to the increased accumulation of vitamin c and phenolics throughout the ripening process.