Study of postharvest changes in the chemical composition of persimmon by HPLC

Chemical composition, total phenolic content, phenolic compounds, sugars, and L-ascorbic acid content of persimmon fruits of 6 different persimmon cultivars obtained from Ordu, Turkey, were evaluated in this study. Four astringent persimmon cultivars (Turkay, Hachiya, 07 TH 13, and Morali) and 2 nonastringent persimmon cultivars (Tozlayici and Fuyu) were used for analysis. In order to determine total phenolic content in persimmon fruits, the Folin-Ciocalteu colorimetric method was used. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was used to identify and quantify the phenolic compounds, sugar, and L-ascorbic acid. Total phenolic content was higher in the astringent species than in the nonastringent species. Phenolic compounds identified and quantified in persimmons were gallic acid, chlorogenic acid, rutin, and catechin. Total phenolic content and phenolic compound concentrations decreased during storage. The sugar compounds found in persimmon cultivars were fructose and glucose. L-ascorbic acid content for all cultivars varied between 14.9 and 15.8 mg 100 g(-1). The study showed that persimmon fruits are a good source of phenolic compounds, which are nutritionally important for their antioxidant activities and protective functions against diseases caused by oxidative stress.