Health properties of fresh apple purees obtained from fruits of ancient local genotypes

The consumption of ready-to-eat products is increasing, and consumers demand tasty products with nutritional properties similar to those of fresh produces. Apple fruits and their derivatives are known to provide bioactive substances that bring benefits to the human organism; however, the chemical composition varies among cultivars. This study analyzed some main properties of fresh homogenates obtained from fruits of two ancient local apple genotypes (Malus domestica Borkh.), i.e. Limoncella and Sergente, typical of a mountain area of Southern Italy, compared to those of a renowned cultivar taken as a reference, i.e. Golden delicious. All the fruits were produced in the same orchard. The analytical results highlighted that Limoncella and Sergente homogenates have better nutritional properties than those of Golden Delicious. Between the two local accessions, Sergente showed a tendency for a higher total organic acid and polyphenol content and for a greater antioxidant capacity in the fresh homogenate of fruit.