Evaluation of fruit quality and chemical characterization of local and standard pear (Pyrus communis L.) cultivars grown in Slovenia

Mikulič Petkovšek, Maja (author), Krošelj, Saša (author), Povše, Petra (author), Osterc, Gregor (author)

This study evaluated the specific morphological and biochemical parameters of fruits from ten pear cultivars, including several traditional old cultivars, such as 'President Drouard', 'Hartilian', 'Clapp’s Favorite', 'Poire de Cure', 'False Pituralka', 'Risovka', 'Santa Maria', 'Starkrimson', 'Triomphe de Vienne' and 'Nordhäuser Winterflorelle'. Significant differences in fruit quality were observed among the evaluated pear cultivars. The cultivars 'Risovka' (32.62 g) and 'President Drouard' (47.31 g) exhibited the lowest fruit weight, whereas 'Triomphe de Vienne' produced very large fruits with an average weight of 254.4 g. The highest total sugar content was recorded in 'False Pituralka' (138.5 g/kg FW), followed by 'Hartilian', 'Poire de Cure' and 'Nordhäuser Winterflorelle'. In contrast, the lowest total acid content was observed in 'Triomphe de Vienne' and 'Nordhäuser Winterflorelle', resulting in a high sugar-to-acid ratio (S/A) and, consequently, a sweet perceived flavor. The more acidic cultivars, characterized by lower S/A ratios, included 'Starkrimson', 'Santa Maria', 'President Drouard', 'Poire de Cure' and 'Clapp’s Favorite'. The highest phenolic compound contents in the fruit flesh were detected in 'Hartilian', 'Risovka', 'President Drouard' and 'Poire de Cure' (58.77–82.12 mg/kg FW), whereas in the peel, the cultivars 'False Pituralka', 'President Drouard' and 'Poire de Cure' contained the highest phenolic levels (1291–2111 mg/kg FW). The characterization of old pear cultivars from a specific growing region is vital for assessing their quality, as they represent an excellent source of genetic diversity and are invaluable for breeding new cultivars.

• Language: English
• Keywords: Pyrus communis, local pear cultivars, morphological characteristics, chemical analysis, phenolic compounds, sugars, acids
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: BF - Biotechnical Faculty
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2026
• Number of pages: 10 str.
• Numbering: Vol. 151, art. 108921
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-179027
• UDC: 634
• ISSN on article: 0889-1575
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jfca.2026.108921
• COBISS.SI-ID: 267147779
• Publication date in RUL: 03.02.2026

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Journal of food composition and analysis
• Shortened title: J. food compos. anal.
• Publisher: Academic Press
• ISSN: 0889-1575
• COBISS.SI-ID: 25742848

Licences

• License: CC BY-NC-ND 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
• Description: The most restrictive Creative Commons license. This only allows people to download and share the work for no commercial gain and for no other purposes.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: hruška, Pyrus communis, sorte, kemična sestava, bioaktivne spojine, sekundarni metaboliti, primarni metaboliti, fenolne spojine, kakovost

Projects

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