Physicochemical Characteristics, Antioxidant Activity, Organic Acid and Sugar Contents of 12 Sweet Cherry (Prunus Avium L.) Cultivars Grown in Turkey

Physical characteristics, antioxidant activity and chemical constituents of 12 cultivars (Prunus avium L.) of sweet cherry (Belge, Bing, Dalbasti, Durona di Cesena, Lambert, Merton Late, Starks Gold, Summit, Sweetheart, Van, Vista, and 0–900 Ziraat) were investigated. Significant differences (P fructose >> sucrose > xylose. Sugar alcohol in the cherries was represented by sorbitol (more than 90%) and its concentration varied between 13.93 and 27.12 g/kg. As a result significant differences were observed among the physical properties and chemical constituents of the cherry cultivars. Practical Application Sweet cherry is commercially very important for Turkey, the largest sweet cherry producer in the world. In Turkey, the most common sweet cherry cultivar is 0–900 Ziraat and there are recent attempts to extend the production of other cultivars. However, there are only a few reports available on 0–900 Ziraat and any of them includes a comparison with other sweet cherry cultivars. Furthermore, no detailed study was performed on chemical constituents and physical properties of sweet cherry cultivars grown in Turkey. So this will be the 1st detailed study on this subject in Turkey. Also we intend to inform consumers about health beneficial substances of sweet cherry cultivars.