Antioxidant Capacity and Phenolics Content of Apricot (Prunus armeniaca L.) Kernel as a Function of Genotype

Fourteen apricot genotypes grown under similar cultural practices in Trans-Himalayan Ladakh region were studied to find out the influence of genotype on antioxidant capacity and total phenolic content (TPC) of apricot kernel. The kernels were found to be rich in TPC ranging from 92.2 to 162.1 mg gallic acid equivalent/100 g. The free radical-scavenging activity in terms of inhibitory concentration (IC50) ranged from 43.8 to 123.4 mg/ml and ferric reducing antioxidant potential (FRAP) from 154.1 to 243.6 FeSO4.7H2O μg/ml. A variation of 1–1.7 fold in total phenolic content, 1–2.8 fold in IC50 by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay and 1–1.6 fold in ferric reducing antioxidant potential among the examined kernels underlines the important role played by genetic background for determining the phenolic content and antioxidant potential of apricot kernel. A positive significant correlation between TPC and FRAP (r = 0.671) was found. No significant correlation was found between TPC and IC50; FRAP and IC50; TPC and physical properties of kernel. Principal component analysis demonstrated that genotypic effect is more pronounced towards TPC and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) content in apricot kernel while the contribution of seed and kernel physical properties are not highly significant.