Investigation of sugars, organic acids, phenolic compounds, antioxidant activity and the aroma fingerprint of small white apricots grown in Xinjiang

Abstract Small white apricot is well known as a famous fresh fruit and even a folk medicine in Xinjiang. To investigate nutritive value, antioxidant activity, and flavor of small white apricot, sugars, organic acids, total flavonoids, phenolic compounds, antioxidant activities, and volatile compounds in five apricot cultivars were examined by high‐performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and headspace solid‐phase microextraction coupled with gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (HS‐SPME‐GC‐MS). The results showed that sucrose (32.94% to 42.49%), malic acid (69.21% to 76.75%), and quercetin‐3‐rutinoside (72.84% to 74.05%) were the dominant sugar, organic acid, and phenolic compounds in small white apricot, respectively. The antioxidant activity reached up to 61.72 to 135.52 mg TEs 100 g −1 . Furthermore, the aroma fingerprint of the small white apricot consisted of 1‐octen‐3‐ol, 1‐dodecanol, pentanal, hexanal, (E)‐2‐hexenal, (E)‐2‐heptenal, 6‐methyl‐5‐hepten‐2‐one, (E)‐2‐nonenal, 1‐octen‐3‐one, β ‐myrcene, and linalool, providing clear green, grassy, and fatty notes. Apricots from different cultivars possessed a similar flavor, while linalool and (E)‐2‐hexenal had been identified as the characteristic aroma compounds in small white apricot. The results provide a complete chemical characterization of the taste, functional ingredients and aroma of the small white apricot. Practical Application The nutritive value, antioxidant activity and flavor of small white apricot were investigated in this study. The results will provide a theoretical basis for developing characteristic variety aroma, nutritive value, and medicinal value of small white apricot.