Assessment of phenolic composition, sugars, and antioxidant capacity in Turkish fig (Ficus carica L.) cultivars

Fig fruits (Ficus carica L.) have significant health benefits. T & uuml;rkiye is the leading fig producer in the world. Despite their diversity and rich medicinal properties, the biochemical fingerprints and nutritional quality of local figs are poorly understood. This study aimed to analyze the peels and pulps of eight Turkish figs with varying colors for their total phenolic composition, sugars, and antioxidant capacity. Thirty-one phenolic compounds (PCs) were detected using HPLC-MS/MS. The dark-purple 01-1N-58 genotype had the highest amount of colored PCs in fruit peels and pulps (151.25 and 31.57 mg/100 g dw, respectively). Likewise, the maximum quantity of colorless PCs was found in the peels of the same genotype (1063.91 mg GAE/100 g dw). The highest antioxidant capacity was also observed in the 01-1N-58 genotype. Cyanidin-3-O-rutinoside and chlorogenic acid were the dominant PCs in the peels and pulps. This study showed that the fig fruit peels, especially with darker colors, had a greater total quantity of bioactive compounds than pulp. High variability was observed among the studied cultivars and genotypes, which is crucial to help fig breeding researchers, consumers, and the food industry to select fig varieties with the most health benefits.