Differences in primary and secondary metabolites of green and red-fleshed kiwiberry cultivars

Medič, Aljaž (author), Kunc, Petra (author)

Due to the limited number of studies comparing red-fleshed and green-fleshed kiwiberry (Actinidia spp.) cultivars, the present investigation was conducted to (i) identify and quantify the major phenolic compounds, (ii) determine the primary metabolite composition, and (iii) compare the secondary metabolite profiles of greenfleshed and newly commercialised red-fleshed kiwiberry cultivars. Using mass spectrometry, a total of 34 phenolic compounds were identified, several of which were detected for the first time in kiwiberries or any other Actinidia species. The phytochemical profiles revealed notable differences between green- and red-fleshed cultivars. In the red-fleshed cultivar ‘Purpurna Sadowa’, glucose and fructose levels were significantly higher than sucrose levels, contrasting with other kiwiberry cultivars and previously reported data. Overall, green-fleshed cultivars exhibited a higher sucrose content, whereas red-fleshed cultivars had elevated levels of glucose and fructose. These differences in sugar composition may influence both the perceived flavour and consumer acceptance of the fruit. Red-fleshed cultivars also exhibited a significantly higher total phenolic content, largely attributable to increased anthocyanin levels. However, even when anthocyanins were excluded from the analysis, red-fleshed cultivars still demonstrated higher phenolic concentrations than their green-fleshed counterparts.

• Language: English
• Keywords: phenolic compounds, HPLC-MS, Carpobrotus edulis, indentification, A. arguta, Actinidia
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: BF - Biotechnical Faculty
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2025
• Number of pages: 8 str.
• Numbering: Vol. 5, iss. 2, art. 101090
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-169950
• UDC: 634:601.2:577.121:582.688.4
• ISSN on article: 2772-5022
• DOI: doi.org/10.1016/j.afres.2025.101090
• COBISS.SI-ID: 240403459
• Publication date in RUL: 24.06.2025

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Applied food research
• Publisher: Elsevier B.V.
• ISSN: 2772-5022
• COBISS.SI-ID: 103563523

Licences

• License: CC BY-NC 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
• Description: A creative commons license that bans commercial use, but the users don’t have to license their derivative works on the same terms.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: fenolne spojine, kivi, primarni metaboliti, sekundarni metaboliti, HPLC-MS, Carpobrotus edulis, A. arguta, Actinidia, aktinidija

Projects

• Funder: ARIS - Slovenian Research and Innovation Agency
• Project number: P4-0013
• Name: Hortikultura