Chemical Composition of Juices Made from Cultivars and Breeding Selections of European Pear (Pyrus communis L.)

The phenolic profiles and other major metabolites in juices made from fruits of 17 cultivars and selections of European pears were investigated using UHPLC-DAD-ESI-QTOF-MS and GC-FID, respectively. A total of 39 phenolic compounds were detected, including hydroxybenzoic acids, hydroxycinnamic adds, flavan-3-ols, procyanidins, flavonols, and arbutin. Among these compounds, 5-O-caffeoylquinic acid was the most predominant, accounting for 14-39% of total quantified phenolic contents (TPA) determined in this study. The variations were mainly cultivar dependent. The genetic background effect on the chemical compositions is complex, and breeding selections from the same parental cultivars varied dramatically in chemical compositions. Putative perry pears contained more 4-O-caffeoylquinic add, 5-O-caffeoylquinic add, caffeoyl N-trytophan, caffeoylshikimic add, coumaroylquinic add isomer, syringic add hexoside, procyanidin dimer B2, (+)-catechin, and malic add, whereas putative dessert pears had higher esters, alcohols, and aldehydes. The results will be helpful in providing industry with phytochemical compositional information, assisting pear selections in commercial utilization.