Growing conditions effect on fruit phytochemical composition and anti-microbial activity of plum (cv. Black Diamond)

Meteorological parameters such as temperature, atmospheric pressure, humidity, radiation, precipitation, wind speed etc. vary between the regions where are located at the same latitude with different altitudes. High correlation between plant characteristics and climatic parameters leads researchers to reveal how plants react to different environmental conditions. In this study, some phytochemical and antimicrobial characteristics fruits of ‘Black Diamond’ plum variety which were harvested at two different altitudes (200 m and 800 m), during two consecutive years (2017 and 2018) were investigated fort the explain of altitude change effects on these characteristics. As a result of the study, it was determined that the amount of phenolic compounds and organic acids were increased with altitude increase while antimicrobial activities were decreased. Ranking of organic acids in both altitudes was found as malic acid> acetic acid> oxalic acid> ascorbic acid. In terms of phenolic acids, a stable order could not be determined. Acetic acid and chlorogenic acid were found as a strong anti-bacterial compounds. Same results obtain for oxalic acid, malic acid, ascorbic acid, routine, parahydroxybenzoic acid, p-coumaric acid, gallic acid, protocatechuic acid, vanilic acid, caffeic acid and syringic acid in terms of anti-fungal activity.