Developmental Dynamics of Physicochemical Traits, Polyphenols, and Antioxidant Capacity in ‘Dorset’ Apples and Valorization of Unripe Fruits

Developmental Dynamics of Physicochemical Traits, Polyphenols, and Antioxidant Capacity in ‘Dorset’ Apples and Valorization of Unripe Fruits | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Developmental Dynamics of Physicochemical Traits, Polyphenols, and Antioxidant Capacity in ‘Dorset’ Apples and Valorization of Unripe Fruits Hassane Boudad, Abdelmajid Haddioui, Kaoutar El Fazazi, Rachid Mentag, and 4 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-9106675/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Under Review Version 1 posted 8 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Fruit development has a strong effect on the biochemical structure and antioxidant activity of apples, especially in warm-climate cultivars. The current experiment investigated the development of physicochemical characteristics, polyphenol accumulation and antioxidant activity in Malus domestica Borkh. cv. Dorsett Golden over eight developmental stages between 42 and 126 days after full bloom (DAFB). Growth parameters were also evaluated, fruit apparent density, moisture content, pH, titratable acidity and reducing sugars alongside biochemical parameters, total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC) and antioxidant activity (DPPH, ABTS and FRAP). Fruit apparent density and reducing sugars increased as development progressed and the moisture content peaked at 56 DAFB and then started to decline gradually to maturity. There was a significant developmental difference in the polyphenolic compounds, where TPC reached 24.10 ± 12.47 mg GAE/100 g, and TFC reduced to 125.81 ± 13.95 mg QE/100 g at 126 DAFB. Assay-dependent patterns of antioxidant activity were observed: DPPH and ABTS activities rose throughout ripening whereas FRAP values reduced and were at 0.05 ± 0.01 mmol g − 1 . Correlation analysis showed that there were complex relationships between the antioxidant capacity and the phenolic composition. The developmental stages (56–84 DAFB) were characterized by high phenolic levels and high antioxidant potential. These results indicate that immature apples removed during thinning are potentially useful in the production of nutraceutical and functional foods due to the presence of bioactive compounds in them. Dorset apple fruit development phenolic compounds antioxidant activity unripe apple. Figures Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3 Figure 4 1. Introduction Apples ( Malus domestica Borkh .) are among the most widely cultivated temperate fruit crops and an important component of human diets worldwide. In addition to having great economic value and postharvest storage potential, the high levels of bioactive phytochemicals in apples with recognized health-promoting effects has raised much interest among scientists. Phenolic compounds in apple tissues include phenolic acids, flavonoid, flavan-3-ols, and procyanidins which contribute to antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer effects (Sharifi-Rad et al. 2020 ; Nirmal et al. 2023 ). These molecules are significant in alleviating oxidative stress, which occurs by free-radical scavenging, and hence helps in the prevention of various chronic diseases. In Morocco, apple is considered one of the main temperate fruit crops produced in more than 47,000 ha with a production of over 860,000 t (FAOSTAT 2025) every year, with it being cultivated in the mountainous and semi-arid areas of the country. The biochemical composition of apples also varies significantly during the growth and ripening of fruits. Developmental processes influence on the accumulation and transformation of the primary metabolites (sugars and organic acids) and secondary metabolites (phenolic compounds). Various reports have shown that the levels of polyphenols and antioxidant capacity are usually greater at the early stages of development because of the high levels of defensive metabolism of the tissues at the early stages (Redondo et al. 2018 ). These compounds are often diluted as fruit growth occurs as a result of cell expansion. It is thus necessary to understand the temporal dynamics of these metabolites in order to determine developmental stages that optimize the bioactivity of these compounds that may have nutritional or industrial quality (Waldbauer et al. 2017 ). Apple production systems also generate large volumes of immature fruits that are taken off in the process of thinning. They are usually discarded even though they may contain very high levels of phenolic compounds and anti-oxidants. The use of such by-products should be valorized to create alternative sources of natural bioactive compounds for the food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic industries and at the same time minimize agricultural waste. One of the low-chill genotypes with warm and subtropical adaptation is the genotype named Dorsett Golden that needs about 100–300 chill hours, and it is popularly grown in Mediterranean and subtropical areas. This cultivar is believed to be related to Golden Delicious and is marked with early flowering, fast development of fruits and tolerates high-temperature climates (El-Agamy et al. 2001 ). Although it is important in the agricultural field, limited data are available on developmental changes in its physicochemical characteristics and antioxidant-related metabolites. The physiological and biochemical transformation taking place during fruit development is thus of interest and a detailed description of these changes is necessary to determine the stages where bioactive compounds could be recovered with the highest degree of success. The study under development will also focus on the dynamics of growth characteristics, physicochemical properties, the level of polyphenols, and the antioxidant activity of apples of the cultivar, 'Dorsett Golden' between the initial fruit set and the final maturity stages. Specific emphasis is put on finding development stages that may underlie the valorization of immature fruits that are harvested in the course of thinning to serve as sources of functional ingredients to be used in food- and nutraceutical-related purposes. 2. Materials and Methods 2.1. Experimental Site and Climatic Conditions The experiment was conducted in 2024, at the Annonceur (c. 33°41'-33°42' N; 4°49'-4˚51' W; altitude :1350 m) experimental research station, operated by the National Institute of Agronomic Research (INRA), in Morocco. The orchard was managed according to standard horticultural practices such as controlled irrigation, pruning, pests and fertilization. The experimental location has a light reddish-coloured soil that is classified as Hamri, which is of high silicate content as well as having a stony texture. The soil depth is moderately deep and deep with limestone underlying the soil. Such soils are generally characterized by low level of organic matter and low level of water retention. In the growing season of 2024, the total precipitation was 284.4 mm. The air temperature was between 0.12° C and 28°C. Also, the natural rain was complemented by the irrigation water of about 100 mm to maintain optimal tree growth (Fig. 1 ). 2.2. Plant Materials The ‘Dorsett Golden’ apple cultivar ( Malus domestica Borkh ) was selected on the basis of its adaptation to warm climate, its limited cold-storage capacity and because it maintains fruit set and development under fluctuating climatic conditions. The cultivar is also known to possess considerable quantities of bioactive compounds especially polyphenols that can also have potential nutraceutical worth. The experiment was conducted on 14-year-old trees that were grafted on MM106 rootstock. Sampling was done on the fruit at eight stages of development that are 42, 56, 63, 77, 84, 91, 105, and 126 days after full bloom (DAFB). It flowered on February 22, 2024. These sampling points were selected to capture the key physiological stages of the fruit development stages, starting with early fruit set, to full maturity. Ten apples were picked randomly at every stage at various canopy locations (north, south, upper, and lower branches) to sample the canopy and to minimize possible microenvironmental influences. Fruits were visually inspected before sampling and only apples that were of similar size and all which lacked any visible mechanical damage or any disease symptoms were left to be analyzed 2.3. Apple Sample Preparation Fruit samples were immediately transported to the laboratory using ice-cooled containers to retain biochemical integrity just after harvest. Apples were peeled manually and the cores and seeds were removed. The remaining tissue was sliced into small pieces (around 5 mm) for freeze-drying. The samples were then dried at 48h at -50°C and 0.04 mbar in a Christ Alpha 1–4 LD plus freeze dryer (Germany). After complete dehydration, apple tissues were ground in a fine powder using a sterile stainless-steel grinder. The powdered samples were kept in the airtight polypropylene tubes which were opaque at room temperature − 20°C until biochemical analyses were performed. The samples at each of the developmental stages were processed and stored separately. 2.4. Physicochemical Determination Apple Growth Indices The growth indices were determined to keep track of the physical changes as they occurred in development. The amount of moisture was analyzed through gravimetric analysis. The dry weight of approximately 5 g of fresh tissue was dried at 105 C (Mummert hot air oven) until it was dry. Percentage moisture was determined using the difference between fresh and dry weight. The width, length of the fruit and D were measured with the accuracy of 0.001 g (Sartorius Model BL-600) and the volume (V, cm3) was used to product the average fruit diameter (𝑇𝑜𝑟𝑎𝑏𝑖 and others 2013): Apparent solid density (ρ, kg m-3) is apparent density of a fruit sample, which is the ratio of the mass of a sample to its total volume: 𝜌 = 𝐹𝑊⁄𝑉 (Deshpande and others 1993, Mohsenin 1965 ). The pH was determined using fresh juice prepared by homogenizing 10g of fresh apple tissue in 50 mL of distilled water. The homogenate was filtered through cheesecloth, and the filtrate measured using a calibrated pH meter (Hanna Instruments HI 2211 pH meter). Titratable acidity (TA) was determined by titrating 10 mL of filtered juice against 0.1 N NaOH using phenolphthalein as an endpoint indicator. TA was expressed as percentage malic acid equivalents Reducing Sugar Content (RSC) Reducing sugars were quantified using the colorimetric 3,5-dinitrosalicylic acid (DNS) method. Apple extract was prepared in the form of a 1 mL aliquot that was combined with 1 mL of DNS reagent and incubated in a water bath at 95 ˚C in 5 minutes. The absorbance was measured at 485 nm after the room temperature was reached (Shimadzu UV-1280 UV-Visible spectrophotometer (Japan)). The glucose standards (0–2 mg/mL) were used to draw a calibration curve and the findings were in the form of mg glucose equivalents per g dry matter. 2.5. Biochemical analysis DPPH Radical Scavenging Activity In order to determine the free radical scavenging capacity of apple extracts, the DPPH (2, 2-diphenyl- 1-picrylhydrazyl) assay was performed. A freshly prepared and light-protected 0.1 mM DPPH solution in methanol was prepared. An equal volume of DPPH solution and apple extract were combined (1:1 v/v) and vortexed and allowed to react in the dark using room temperature within 30-minutes. The absorbance was taken at 517 nm. Trolox (0–1 mM) was then used as a standard curve and antioxidant activity was computed as mmol Trolox equivalents/ gram dry matter (Huang et al 2005 ). Total Phenolic Content (TPC) The Folin-Ciocalteu method was used in the determination of total phenolic content (Singleton et al. 1999 ). In a word, 200 µL of apple extract were combined with 1.5 mL of Folin-Ciocalteu reagent (1:10) in a dilution. 5 mL of 7.5% sodium carbonate solution were added after 5 min. The solution was left to incubate at room temperature in darkness and the absorbance was assessed at 760nm. The calibration curve was prepared with gallic acid (0-200 ug mL -1 ). The findings were in mg gallic acid equivalents (GAE)/g dry matter. Total Flavonoid Content (TFC) Total flavonoid content was measured using the aluminum chloride colorimetric The total flavonoid content was determined by the use of the aluminum chloride colorimetric method (Jia et al. 1999 ). Concisely, 0.3 mL of sodium nitrite (5%) was combined with 0.5 mL of extract. In 5 min, 0.3 mL of 10% aluminum chloride was put. Two minutes later, 2 mL of 1 M sodium hydroxide was added and the total volume was brought to 5 mL using distilled water. The vortex was mixed and absorbance was taken at 510 nm. In the study, quercetin served as the calibration standard and the results were in terms of mg quercetin equivalents (QE)/g dry matter. 2.6. Statistical Analyses Each of the experiments was conducted thrice and the results were presented as mean ± standard deviation (SD). ANOVA was used to test the impact of the stage of development on the parameters measured. Tukey HSD test was used to conduct post-hoc comparisons at level of significance = p = 0.05. R software 4.4.2 was used to perform statistical analyses and Pearson correlation tests of the antioxidant activity and polyphenol content. 3. Results and Discussion Physicochemical and Morphological Changes During Fruit Growth Changes in physicochemical characteristics during fruit development reveal the physiological processes that are coordinated to regulate the growth of the apple (Table 1 ; Fig. 2 ). Apple fruits showed a classic sigmoidal pattern as substantial increases in fruit mass and volume were observed during 42 to 126 days after full bloom (DAFB). The increase in fruit weight was seen to change to 1.25 ± 0.46 g to 147.44 ± 26.88 g and the increase in fruit volume changed to 2.56 ± 1.02 ± 351.24 ± 75.36 cm 3 indicating rapid cell growth and vacuolar expansion in the later stages of maturation. The same growth dynamics have been reported with regard to the apple cultivars with faster growth cycle in warm climatic conditions. Variations in apparent fruit density also demonstrated alterations in structure that took place through growth (Table 1 ). The peak density of 559.73 ± 26.51 kg m − 3 was reached at 56 DAFB which is a measure of compactness of tissue and deposition of structural elements at an early stage of the organism. Then at a later stage, the density reduced with maturation. This decrease is probably due to dilution effects caused by cell expansion and rising vacuolar volume, which has been observed in rapidly growing apple tissues including the apple variety, Fujii (Bowen and Watkins 1997 ). Similar trends have been attributed to low-chill varieties that have been adapted to warm climates, in which condensed growth pathways increase structural changes (Gerald et al. 2025 ). Moisture content showed a negative correlation with fruit density through the developmental stages. Values between 42DFB and 126DFB were 79.16 ± 10% and 81.77 ± 1.72% respectively, and increased at first then stabilized and slightly decreased at maturity. These changes reflect increased water uptake to contribute to cell expansion to progressive tissue differentiation and physiological maturation. The formation of structural integrity and cuticular development in apples grown under hot climates have been related to stabilization of water content during subsequent stages of their development. There were also evident developmental patterns of the biochemical indicators of ripening (Table 1 ). The pH of fruit juice also increased steadily with an increase in DAFB of 2.85 ± 0.08 to 3.39 ± 0.01 and titratable acidity levels were comparatively low in apple fruit during development. This is in line with the typical mild acidity and sweet flavor profile of apples of the variety of Dorsett Golden. This rise in pH may be associated with the metabolic conversion of malic acid to acid-free compounds, which usually occurs during the process of fruit maturation, and which is generally observed in low-chill varieties that are kept at high temperature earlier in life. Similar acidity trends have been reported in other cultivars like cultivar, like 'Anna' and Dorsett Golden' and the effect of climatic adaptation on acid metabolism (Gerald et al. 2025 ). Developmental stage also played a very strong role in carbohydrate metabolism. Reducing sugars showed an upward trend as fruits grew where they rose up to 2.55 ± 0.6 to 4.74 ± 1.32 mg g − 1 DM at maturity. This accumulation indicates starch hydrolysis and the on-going translocation of photoassimilates of the source tissues which are involved in the development of flavour and energy provision during ripening. Similar sugar accumulation has been documented in other apple genotypes and show that the extent of sugar accumulation is early onset of sugar accumulation in precocious genotypes (Wu et al. 2007 ; Deng et al. 2025 ). There were also changes in morphological features of the supporting structures of the fruit during growth. Specifically, pedicel length and width differences were noted and pedicel width extended at the later stages. It is probable that this trend is a manifestation of reinforcement of the vascular tissue as fruit mass increases, which shows that the relationship between fruit mass and structural support system is dynamic. Table 1 Compositional changes in Dorset apples during fruit growth. DAFB (Days After Full Bloom) apparent solid density (ρ, kg, m–3) Fruit stalk length (mm) Fruit stalk width (mm) Moisture content (%) PH AT( g CA 100 mL-1) Glucose (mg/g MS) 42 495.13 ± 56.02abc 28.55 ± 5.51a 1.85 ± 0.35cd 79.16 ± 10b 2.85 ± 0.08f 0.03 ± 0.01a 2.55 ± 0.6b 56 559.73 ± 26.51a 17.94 ± 4.01b 1.61 ± 0.1d 92.48 ± 6.82a 3.61 ± 0.01a 0.01 ± 0d 2.63 ± 0.73b 63 513.94 ± 29.12ab 28.03 ± 7.68a 1.95 ± 0.47cd 84.06 ± 1.53b 3.48 ± 0.01bc 0.01 ± 0.01cd 2.77 ± 0.46b 77 488.44 ± 26.59bcd 24.55 ± 6.48ab 2.21 ± 0.48bc 84.89 ± 1.65b 3.44 ± 0.01c 0.02 ± 0bc 2.88 ± 0.83b 84 455.98 ± 34.64bcd 27.56 ± 7.55a 2.26 ± 0.38bc 83.44 ± 1.4b 3.45 ± 0.01bc 0.01 ± 0cd 3.41 ± 0.6ab 91 443.95 ± 15.48cd 32.68 ± 4.96a 7.13 ± 0.38a 84.78 ± 1.48b 3.49 ± 0.01b 0.01 ± 0d 3.43 ± 0.77ab 105 480.16 ± 94.28bcd 27.33 ± 6.74a 2.48 ± 0.35b 84.28 ± 2.12b 3.11 ± 0.01e 0.02 ± 0ab 3.71 ± 0.46ab 126 422.84 ± 25.52d 26.13 ± 5.29ab 2.13 ± 0.24bcd 81.77 ± 1.72b 3.39 ± 0.01d 0.01 ± 0d 4.74 ± 1.32a Values expressed as mean ± standard deviation. Different letters in the same row indicate significant differences (p < 0.05, ANOVA, Tukey post-test). Polyphenol Accumulation and Antioxidant Capacity During Development Significant differences were observed among developmental stages in phenolic compounds (Table 2 ; Fig. 3 ). The highest content of total phenolic content (TPC) and total flavonoid content (TFC) occurred in the initial stages of fruit development and decreased gradually to the maturity stage. High phenolic levels were observed at 42–56 DAFB were 24.10 ± 12.47 mg GAE/100 g indicating the high secondary metabolic activity of immature fruit tissues. These initial phases are associated with the times when the level of defensive activity is elevated, and the phenolic compounds help to protect against environmental stress and attackers. TPC and TFC were found to decrease as fruit development progressed with TFC value of 125.81 ± 13.95mg QE/100 g at 126 DAFB. This has generally been explained by the dilution effect caused by high cell proliferation rate with the growing structural biomass lowering the phenolic content per unit mass in spite of ongoing biosynthesis (Jiang et al. 2006 ; Renard et al. 2007 ). This relatively rapid decline in phenolic levels in ‘Dorsett Golden’ apples could also be associated with shortening of the development cycle of the apple that is characteristic of low-chill apples that are cultivated under warm climatic conditions. These dynamics may also be added to by environmental factors. The high temperatures of low-chill producing areas have been demonstrated to stimulate the acceleration of phenolic degradation and biosynthetic phase of secondary metabolites, which eventually lead to reduced phenolic retention at full maturity (Pasquet et al. 2024 ). The phenolic persistence of the fruit of the cultivar at maturity, in comparison with those of late-season, including the cultivars like 'Fuji' or 'Golden Delicious', may seem to be fairly low, which is consistent with the precocious physiological traits of the cultivar (Gumul et al. 2024 ; Gerald et al. 2025 ). Antioxidant activity measured using DPPH, ABTS, and FRAP assays showed different developmental patterns (Table 2 ). The radical scavenging activity in DPPH and ABTS scored rose moderately in later stages of development but FRAP values declined gradually with time with the values reaching to 0.05 +- 0.01 mmol g-1 towards maturity. These contrasting responses indicate complex antioxidant dynamics in fruit ripening. The variability between antioxidant assays is often explained by the differences in the sensitivity to a particular antioxidant mechanism. Whereas DPPH and ABTS tests largely indicate radical scavenging activity, FRAP is the one that indicates ferric-reducing capacity. Accordingly, the variations of the antioxidant profiles with the maturation of fruits can indicate alterations in the proportion of the various phenolic subclasses or the participation of non-phenolic antioxidants like ascorbic acid (Huang et al. 2005 ; Prior et al. 2005 ). The drop in FRAP values could therefore be linked to a drop in ferric-reducing compounds, such as ascorbate, in the ripening process, which has been already observed in apple varieties like 'Elstar' and Jonagold' (Chien et al. 2007 ). Table 2 Antioxidant activity changes in Dorset apples during fruit growth. DAFB DPPH (mmol/g) ABTS (mmol/g) FRAP (mmol/g) 42 0.07 ± 0d 0.21 ± 0.01c 0.09 ± 0a 56 0.07 ± 0d 0.21 ± 0.01c 0.09 ± 0.02a 63 0.07 ± 0.01cd 0.21 ± 0bc 0.09 ± 0.01ab 77 0.07 ± 0.01cd 0.21 ± 0bc 0.09 ± 0.01ab 84 0.08 ± 0bc 0.22 ± 0.01ab 0.07 ± 0.01bc 91 0.08 ± 0b 0.22 ± 0.01ab 0.07 ± 0c 105 0.09 ± 0.01ab 0.22 ± 0.01ab 0.05 ± 0d 126 0.09 ± 0a 0.22 ± 0.01a 0.05 ± 0.01d Values expressed as mean ± standard deviation. Different letters in the same row indicate significant differences (p < 0.05, ANOVA, Tukey post-test). Similar developmental patterns in antioxidant capacity have also been reported in other fleshy fruits, including pomegranate, suggesting that these biochemical transitions represent a common metabolic response during fruit maturation (Kulkarni and Aradhya 2005 ). Relationships Between Polyphenols and Antioxidant Activity Correlation analysis showed that total phenolic concentration does not solely determine antioxidant capacity of the apples of the variety, 'Dorsett Golden' but also the composition of certain phenolic subclasses (Fig. 3 ). A close relationship was found between DPPH and FRAP (r = 0.88), indicating overlap of radical-scavenging and reducing processes. On the contrary, the correlation between DPPH and total phenolic content showed a weak correlation (r = =-0.17) which shows that each phenolic compound has a different contribution to antioxidant activity. In the same vein, the relationship between FRAP and TPC was weak (r = 0.06), implying that the amount of ferric-reducing capacity cannot be entirely explained by the overall phenolic concentration. Such variations across antioxidant assays have also been common with apple tissues and other fruit matrices, especially in the early stages of development where metabolic composition varies at a rapid rate (Schieber et al. 2001 ; Zheng et al. 2012 ; Suleria et al. 2020 ). The findings indicate the significance of using more than one antioxidant assay to provide a detailed description of the antioxidant dynamics that occur during the development of fruits. Applied, the findings have revealed intermediate stages of development (56–84 DAFB) as the most desirable stage at which the bioactive compounds of the apples can be recovered in the case of the 'Dorsett Golden' apples. Fruits during this period showed high levels of phenolic as well as high antioxidant activity. The periods are associated with the time of harvesting immature fruits that are largely removed in the orchard thinning process. It has also been indicated that immature fruit tissues represent much potential sources of natural antioxidants and bioactive compounds that can be used as nutraceutical, cosmetic, and functional food products (Adil et al. 2007 ; Zeng et al. 2023 ). The concentration of phenolic compounds at these stages is quite high hence justifying the possibility of valorising thinned apples as raw material in extraction of antioxidants. This could be in the form of the development of natural preservatives, antioxidant food ingredients, and the use of bioactive formulations that can be used in cosmetic applications or pharmaceutical applications (Awad et al. 2001 ; Sharifi-Rad et al. 2020 ; Nirmal et al. 2023 ). 4. Conclusion The present study described the physicochemical growth, polyphenol levels, as well as the antioxidant dynamics of Malus domestica cv. Dorsett Golden across eight developmental stages (42–126 days after full bloom). Large increases in fruit size and mass were observed, as weight increased by 1.25 ± 0.46 g and volume by 2.56 ± 1.02 cm 3 to 351.24 ± 75.36 cm 3 . Biochemical alterations were observed concurrently; pH was gradually elevated, and reducing sugars were reduced, indicating progression toward physiological maturity. Clear developmental differences were observed in polyphenolic compounds. Optimal levels were observed during the early and intermediate stages of fruit growth with the total phenolic content up to 24.10 ± 12.47 mg GAE/100 g. The assay-dependent antioxidant capacities exhibited moderate maturation effects, with the DPPH and ABTS radical-scavenging activities either rising in proportion to maturation, or the ferric-reducing capacity decreased to 0.05 ± 0.01 mmol g − 1 later. Correlation analysis revealed that the total phenolic concentration was not the sole determinant of antioxidant activity and the effect of the phenolic composition and other antioxidant constituents were significant. From a practical perspective, developmental window of 56–84 DAFB seems especially good when it comes to recovery of phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity. These stages coincide with the period when young fruits are typically removed during the orchard thinning exercises. The results of the biochemical analysis of the stages highlight the potential use of thinned apples of the variety Dorsett Golden as the sources of natural bioactive compounds to be used in the functional food, nutraceutical, or industrial purposes. This kind of valorization can help in minimizing the waste in agriculture and increase the economic value of apple production systems. Declarations Author Contributions HB : Writing-original draft, data curation, formal analysis. 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Stability and preservation of phenolic compounds and related antioxidant capacity from agro-food matrix: Effect of pH and atmosphere. Food Bioscience , 57 , 103586. ttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.fbio.2023.103586 Prior, R. L., Wu, X., & Schaich, K. (2005). Standardized methods for the determination of antioxidant capacity and phenolics in foods and dietary supplements. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 53 (10), 4290–4302. ttps://doi.org/10.1021/jf0502698 Redondo, D., Venturini, M. E., Luengo, E., Raso, J., & Arias, E. (2018). Pulsed electric fields as a green technology for the extraction of bioactive compounds from thinned peach by-products. Innovative Food Science & Emerging Technologies , 45 , 29–36. ttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.ifset.2017.12.004 Renard, C. M. G. C., Dupont, N., & Guillermin, P. (2007). Concentrations and characteristics of procyanidins and other phenolics in apples during fruit growth. Phytochemistry , 68 (8), 1128–1138. ttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.phytochem.2007.02.012 Schieber, A., Keller, P., & Carle, R. (2001). Determination of phenolic acids and flavonoids of apple and pear by high-performance liquid chromatography. Journal of Chromatography A , 910 (2), 265–273. ttps://doi.org/10.1016/S0021-9673(00)01227-5 Sharifi-Rad, M., Anil Kumar, N. V., Zucca, P., Varoni, E. M., Dini, L., Panzarini, E., … Sharifi-Rad, J. (2020). Lifestyle, oxidative stress, and antioxidants: Back and forth in the pathophysiology of chronic diseases. Frontiers in Physiology , 11 , 552535. ttps://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2020.552535 Singleton, V. L., Orthofer, R., & Lamuela-Raventós, R. M. (1999). Analysis of total phenols and other oxidation substrates and antioxidants by means of Folin–Ciocalteu reagent. Methods in Enzymology , 299 , 152–178. ttps://doi.org/10.1016/S0076-6879(99)99017-1 Suleria, H. A. R., Barrow, C. J., & Dunshea, F. R. (2020). Screening and characterization of phenolic compounds and their antioxidant capacity in different fruit peels. Foods , 9 (9), 1206. ttps://doi.org/10.3390/foods9091206 Torabi, A., Tabatabaekoloor, R., & Hashemi, S. J. (2013). Volume modelling of three apple varieties based on physical parameters. International Journal of Agriculture and Food Science Technology , 4 (5), 461–466. Waldbauer, K., McKinnon, R., & Kopp, B. (2017). Apple pomace as a potential source of natural active compounds. Planta Medica , 83 (12/13), 994–1010. ttps://doi.org/10.1055/s-0043-102973 Wu, J., Gao, H., Zhao, L., Liao, X., Chen, F., Wang, Z., & Hu, X. (2007). Chemical compositional characterization of some apple cultivars. Food Chemistry , 103 (1), 88–93. ttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2006.07.031 Xu, Q., & Tao, W. (2007). Antioxidant activity of vinegar melanoidins. Food Chemistry , 102 (4), 1230–1234. ttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2006.06.015 Zeng, Y., Zhou, W., Yu, J., Zhao, L., Wang, K., Hu, Z., & Liu, X. (2023). Fruit and vegetable byproducts: Antioxidant properties of extractable and non-extractable phenolic compounds. Antioxidants, 12 (2), 418. ttps://doi.org/10.3390/antiox12020418 Zheng, H., Kim, Y., & Chung, S. (2012). A profile of physicochemical and antioxidant changes during fruit growth for the utilization of unripe apples. Food Chemistry , 131 (1), 106–110. ttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2011.08.038 Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Under Review Version 1 posted Reviewers agreed at journal 07 May, 2026 Reviews received at journal 01 Apr, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 01 Apr, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 31 Mar, 2026 Reviewers invited by journal 18 Mar, 2026 Editor assigned by journal 14 Mar, 2026 Submission checks completed at journal 14 Mar, 2026 First submitted to journal 12 Mar, 2026 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-9106675","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":608062010,"identity":"cfa76af8-3e2c-4531-935c-feed00773518","order_by":0,"name":"Hassane Boudad","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"National Institute of Agricultural Research","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Hassane","middleName":"","lastName":"Boudad","suffix":""},{"id":608062011,"identity":"0f934839-9b2f-4ad6-a5de-6fe28a9995d3","order_by":1,"name":"Abdelmajid Haddioui","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"University of Sultan Moulay Slimane","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Abdelmajid","middleName":"","lastName":"Haddioui","suffix":""},{"id":608062012,"identity":"72ae609b-d068-429f-beff-c975291c3949","order_by":2,"name":"Kaoutar El Fazazi","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"National Institute of Agricultural Research","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Kaoutar","middleName":"El","lastName":"Fazazi","suffix":""},{"id":608062013,"identity":"df2daeca-0f8b-49c7-994b-07080e9cdbd6","order_by":3,"name":"Rachid Mentag","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"National Institute of Agricultural Research","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Rachid","middleName":"","lastName":"Mentag","suffix":""},{"id":608062015,"identity":"4aeacfe9-dafb-47e8-9a50-6c39d2bd7abb","order_by":4,"name":"Laila Ouardi","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"National Institute of Agricultural 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Charafi","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAA9ElEQVRIiWNgGAWjYBACxgYg8YCBIQHE+ZBQIUGklgSIFsYZCWeI0AIGcC2MbUSoZm4/nfghgcEuj3/24YcND+dZ5Jm3H2Dd8AOfw3pyN0skMCQXS5xLM2xI3CZRLHMmge1mD16/5G4AajmQ2HCGwfwBUEviDIYEths8+LT0v938A6Rl/hn2jw2Jc4Ba+B+w3fyDT8uM3G1gWzac4QE6rAGoRSKB7TZeW2a83WaRYJCcuPEMT2FDwjGQlodtt2XwaDHsz91840OFXeK8M+wbG3/U1AEdlnzs5ht8WhpApAGqzQ14NDAwyOOVHQWjYBSMglEAAgCr5lXMGGvVkwAAAABJRU5ErkJggg==","orcid":"","institution":"National Institute of Agricultural Research","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Jamal","middleName":"","lastName":"Charafi","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2026-03-12 15:53:19","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-9106675/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-9106675/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":105075137,"identity":"0cbf56a9-d9ea-4c7f-8dd7-d0d68b73fcc4","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-03-20 16:07:20","extension":"png","order_by":1,"title":"Figure 1","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":266197,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eThe Meteorological data (maximum, minimum and mean temperature (°C), dew point (°C), vapor pressure deficit (KPa), relative humidity (%) and precipitation (mm) of the experimental station.\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"image2.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-9106675/v1/827ceba039304523c2495c6d.png"},{"id":105075138,"identity":"abf36729-e28b-4a4f-a991-b456fedcfec3","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-03-20 16:07:20","extension":"png","order_by":2,"title":"Figure 2","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":53629,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eThe changes in the weight and volume of the Dorset apples during fruit growth.\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"image3.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-9106675/v1/0144c2ddc8ebb6b349252fb6.png"},{"id":105562866,"identity":"db97a71c-ee89-462c-9939-ba5ebb2526c1","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-03-27 12:45:00","extension":"png","order_by":3,"title":"Figure 3","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":61058,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eTotal phenolic content and total flavonoid content in the Dorset apples during fruit growth.\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"image4.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-9106675/v1/a5c885f3427e3c8bdc0f7a5e.png"},{"id":105075140,"identity":"13cafc48-fadc-4217-bd49-b14490f37dcb","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-03-20 16:07:21","extension":"png","order_by":4,"title":"Figure 4","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":179379,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eCorrelation Coefficients Between Antioxidant Activities and Polyphenols (Significance codes: *** p \u0026lt; 0.001, ** p \u0026lt; 0.01, ns: not significant)\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"image5.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-9106675/v1/e6fa17dbe34e76a0c4946bd9.png"},{"id":105568857,"identity":"dda9478e-909a-4d3b-b3f0-670250031220","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-03-27 13:10:35","extension":"pdf","order_by":0,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":1374687,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"manuscript.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-9106675/v1/62922835-39c0-452d-9c79-20a532f6458d.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"No competing interests reported.","formattedTitle":"Developmental Dynamics of Physicochemical Traits, Polyphenols, and Antioxidant Capacity in ‘Dorset’ Apples and Valorization of Unripe Fruits","fulltext":[{"header":"1. Introduction","content":"\u003cp\u003eApples (\u003cem\u003eMalus domestica Borkh\u003c/em\u003e.) are among the most widely cultivated temperate fruit crops and an important component of human diets worldwide. In addition to having great economic value and postharvest storage potential, the high levels of bioactive phytochemicals in apples with recognized health-promoting effects has raised much interest among scientists. Phenolic compounds in apple tissues include phenolic acids, flavonoid, flavan-3-ols, and procyanidins which contribute to antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer effects (Sharifi-Rad et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR23\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2020\u003c/span\u003e; Nirmal et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR17\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e). These molecules are significant in alleviating oxidative stress, which occurs by free-radical scavenging, and hence helps in the prevention of various chronic diseases. In Morocco, apple is considered one of the main temperate fruit crops produced in more than 47,000 ha with a production of over 860,000 t (FAOSTAT 2025) every year, with it being cultivated in the mountainous and semi-arid areas of the country. The biochemical composition of apples also varies significantly during the growth and ripening of fruits. Developmental processes influence on the accumulation and transformation of the primary metabolites (sugars and organic acids) and secondary metabolites (phenolic compounds). Various reports have shown that the levels of polyphenols and antioxidant capacity are usually greater at the early stages of development because of the high levels of defensive metabolism of the tissues at the early stages (Redondo et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR20\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2018\u003c/span\u003e). These compounds are often diluted as fruit growth occurs as a result of cell expansion. It is thus necessary to understand the temporal dynamics of these metabolites in order to determine developmental stages that optimize the bioactivity of these compounds that may have nutritional or industrial quality (Waldbauer et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR27\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2017\u003c/span\u003e). Apple production systems also generate large volumes of immature fruits that are taken off in the process of thinning. They are usually discarded even though they may contain very high levels of phenolic compounds and anti-oxidants. The use of such by-products should be valorized to create alternative sources of natural bioactive compounds for the food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic industries and at the same time minimize agricultural waste. One of the low-chill genotypes with warm and subtropical adaptation is the genotype named Dorsett Golden that needs about 100\u0026ndash;300 chill hours, and it is popularly grown in Mediterranean and subtropical areas. This cultivar is believed to be related to Golden Delicious and is marked with early flowering, fast development of fruits and tolerates high-temperature climates (El-Agamy et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR7\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2001\u003c/span\u003e). Although it is important in the agricultural field, limited data are available on developmental changes in its physicochemical characteristics and antioxidant-related metabolites. The physiological and biochemical transformation taking place during fruit development is thus of interest and a detailed description of these changes is necessary to determine the stages where bioactive compounds could be recovered with the highest degree of success. The study under development will also focus on the dynamics of growth characteristics, physicochemical properties, the level of polyphenols, and the antioxidant activity of apples of the cultivar, 'Dorsett Golden' between the initial fruit set and the final maturity stages. Specific emphasis is put on finding development stages that may underlie the valorization of immature fruits that are harvested in the course of thinning to serve as sources of functional ingredients to be used in food- and nutraceutical-related purposes.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"2. Materials and Methods","content":"\u003cdiv id=\"Sec3\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003e2.1. Experimental Site and Climatic Conditions\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe experiment was conducted in 2024, at the Annonceur (c. 33\u0026deg;41'-33\u0026deg;42' N; 4\u0026deg;49'-4˚51' W; altitude :1350 m) experimental research station, operated by the National Institute of Agronomic Research (INRA), in Morocco. The orchard was managed according to standard horticultural practices such as controlled irrigation, pruning, pests and fertilization. The experimental location has a light reddish-coloured soil that is classified as Hamri, which is of high silicate content as well as having a stony texture. The soil depth is moderately deep and deep with limestone underlying the soil. Such soils are generally characterized by low level of organic matter and low level of water retention. In the growing season of 2024, the total precipitation was 284.4 mm. The air temperature was between 0.12\u0026deg; C and 28\u0026deg;C. Also, the natural rain was complemented by the irrigation water of about 100 mm to maintain optimal tree growth (Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec4\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003e2.2. Plant Materials\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe \u0026lsquo;Dorsett Golden\u0026rsquo; apple cultivar (\u003cem\u003eMalus domestica Borkh\u003c/em\u003e) was selected on the basis of its adaptation to warm climate, its limited cold-storage capacity and because it maintains fruit set and development under fluctuating climatic conditions. The cultivar is also known to possess considerable quantities of bioactive compounds especially polyphenols that can also have potential nutraceutical worth. The experiment was conducted on 14-year-old trees that were grafted on MM106 rootstock. Sampling was done on the fruit at eight stages of development that are 42, 56, 63, 77, 84, 91, 105, and 126 days after full bloom (DAFB). It flowered on February 22, 2024. These sampling points were selected to capture the key physiological stages of the fruit development stages, starting with early fruit set, to full maturity. Ten apples were picked randomly at every stage at various canopy locations (north, south, upper, and lower branches) to sample the canopy and to minimize possible microenvironmental influences. Fruits were visually inspected before sampling and only apples that were of similar size and all which lacked any visible mechanical damage or any disease symptoms were left to be analyzed\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec5\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003e2.3. Apple Sample Preparation\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eFruit samples were immediately transported to the laboratory using ice-cooled containers to retain biochemical integrity just after harvest. Apples were peeled manually and the cores and seeds were removed. The remaining tissue was sliced into small pieces (around 5 mm) for freeze-drying. The samples were then dried at 48h at -50\u0026deg;C and 0.04 mbar in a Christ Alpha 1\u0026ndash;4 LD plus freeze dryer (Germany). After complete dehydration, apple tissues were ground in a fine powder using a sterile stainless-steel grinder. The powdered samples were kept in the airtight polypropylene tubes which were opaque at room temperature\u0026thinsp;\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;20\u0026deg;C until biochemical analyses were performed. The samples at each of the developmental stages were processed and stored separately.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec6\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003e2.4. Physicochemical Determination\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cb\u003eApple Growth Indices\u003c/b\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe growth indices were determined to keep track of the physical changes as they occurred in development. The amount of moisture was analyzed through gravimetric analysis. The dry weight of approximately 5 g of fresh tissue was dried at 105 C (Mummert hot air oven) until it was dry. Percentage moisture was determined using the difference between fresh and dry weight. The width, length of the fruit and D were measured with the accuracy of 0.001 g (Sartorius Model BL-600) and the volume (V, cm3) was used to product the average fruit diameter (\u0026#119879;\u0026#119900;\u0026#119903;\u0026#119886;\u0026#119887;\u0026#119894; and others 2013):\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg src=\"data:image/png;base64,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\" width=\"198\" height=\"76\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv description=\"\" class=\"Drawing\" id=\"1662599718\" name=\"Image 1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eApparent solid density (ρ, kg m-3) is apparent density of a fruit sample, which is the ratio of the mass of a sample to its total volume: \u0026#120588; = \u0026#119865;\u0026#119882;\u0026frasl;\u0026#119881; (Deshpande and others 1993, Mohsenin \u003cspan citationid=\"CR16\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1965\u003c/span\u003e). The pH was determined using fresh juice prepared by homogenizing 10g of fresh apple tissue in 50 mL of distilled water. The homogenate was filtered through cheesecloth, and the filtrate measured using a calibrated pH meter (Hanna Instruments HI 2211 pH meter). Titratable acidity (TA) was determined by titrating 10 mL of filtered juice against 0.1 N NaOH using phenolphthalein as an endpoint indicator. TA was expressed as percentage malic acid equivalents\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cb\u003eReducing Sugar Content (RSC)\u003c/b\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eReducing sugars were quantified using the colorimetric 3,5-dinitrosalicylic acid (DNS) method. Apple extract was prepared in the form of a 1 mL aliquot that was combined with 1 mL of DNS reagent and incubated in a water bath at 95 ˚C in 5 minutes. The absorbance was measured at 485 nm after the room temperature was reached (Shimadzu UV-1280 UV-Visible spectrophotometer (Japan)). The glucose standards (0\u0026ndash;2 mg/mL) were used to draw a calibration curve and the findings were in the form of mg glucose equivalents per g dry matter.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec7\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003e2.5. Biochemical analysis\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cb\u003eDPPH Radical Scavenging Activity\u003c/b\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIn order to determine the free radical scavenging capacity of apple extracts, the DPPH (2, 2-diphenyl- 1-picrylhydrazyl) assay was performed. A freshly prepared and light-protected 0.1 mM DPPH solution in methanol was prepared. An equal volume of DPPH solution and apple extract were combined (1:1 v/v) and vortexed and allowed to react in the dark using room temperature within 30-minutes. The absorbance was taken at 517 nm. Trolox (0\u0026ndash;1 mM) was then used as a standard curve and antioxidant activity was computed as mmol Trolox equivalents/ gram dry matter (Huang et al \u003cspan citationid=\"CR11\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2005\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cb\u003eTotal Phenolic Content (TPC)\u003c/b\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe Folin-Ciocalteu method was used in the determination of total phenolic content (Singleton et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR24\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1999\u003c/span\u003e). In a word, 200 \u0026micro;L of apple extract were combined with 1.5 mL of Folin-Ciocalteu reagent (1:10) in a dilution. 5 mL of 7.5% sodium carbonate solution were added after 5 min. The solution was left to incubate at room temperature in darkness and the absorbance was assessed at 760nm. The calibration curve was prepared with gallic acid (0-200 ug mL \u003csup\u003e-1\u003c/sup\u003e). The findings were in mg gallic acid equivalents (GAE)/g dry matter.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cb\u003eTotal Flavonoid Content (TFC)\u003c/b\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eTotal flavonoid content was measured using the aluminum chloride colorimetric The total flavonoid content was determined by the use of the aluminum chloride colorimetric method (Jia et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR12\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1999\u003c/span\u003e). Concisely, 0.3 mL of sodium nitrite (5%) was combined with 0.5 mL of extract. In 5 min, 0.3 mL of 10% aluminum chloride was put. Two minutes later, 2 mL of 1 M sodium hydroxide was added and the total volume was brought to 5 mL using distilled water. The vortex was mixed and absorbance was taken at 510 nm. In the study, quercetin served as the calibration standard and the results were in terms of mg quercetin equivalents (QE)/g dry matter.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec8\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003e2.6. Statistical Analyses\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eEach of the experiments was conducted thrice and the results were presented as mean\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;standard deviation (SD). ANOVA was used to test the impact of the stage of development on the parameters measured. Tukey HSD test was used to conduct post-hoc comparisons at level of significance\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;p = 0.05. R software 4.4.2 was used to perform statistical analyses and Pearson correlation tests of the antioxidant activity and polyphenol content.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"3. Results and Discussion","content":"\u003cp\u003e \u003cb\u003ePhysicochemical and Morphological Changes During Fruit Growth\u003c/b\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eChanges in physicochemical characteristics during fruit development reveal the physiological processes that are coordinated to regulate the growth of the apple (Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e; Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig2\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e). Apple fruits showed a classic sigmoidal pattern as substantial increases in fruit mass and volume were observed during 42 to 126 days after full bloom (DAFB). The increase in fruit weight was seen to change to 1.25\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.46 g to 147.44\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;26.88 g and the increase in fruit volume changed to 2.56\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.02\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;351.24\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;75.36 cm\u003csup\u003e3\u003c/sup\u003e indicating rapid cell growth and vacuolar expansion in the later stages of maturation. The same growth dynamics have been reported with regard to the apple cultivars with faster growth cycle in warm climatic conditions. Variations in apparent fruit density also demonstrated alterations in structure that took place through growth (Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e). The peak density of 559.73\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;26.51 kg m\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;3\u003c/sup\u003e was reached at 56 DAFB which is a measure of compactness of tissue and deposition of structural elements at an early stage of the organism. Then at a later stage, the density reduced with maturation. This decrease is probably due to dilution effects caused by cell expansion and rising vacuolar volume, which has been observed in rapidly growing apple tissues including the apple variety, Fujii (Bowen and Watkins \u003cspan citationid=\"CR3\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1997\u003c/span\u003e). Similar trends have been attributed to low-chill varieties that have been adapted to warm climates, in which condensed growth pathways increase structural changes (Gerald et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR9\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2025\u003c/span\u003e). Moisture content showed a negative correlation with fruit density through the developmental stages. Values between 42DFB and 126DFB were 79.16\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;10% and 81.77\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.72% respectively, and increased at first then stabilized and slightly decreased at maturity. These changes reflect increased water uptake to contribute to cell expansion to progressive tissue differentiation and physiological maturation. The formation of structural integrity and cuticular development in apples grown under hot climates have been related to stabilization of water content during subsequent stages of their development. There were also evident developmental patterns of the biochemical indicators of ripening (Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e). The pH of fruit juice also increased steadily with an increase in DAFB of 2.85\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.08 to 3.39\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.01 and titratable acidity levels were comparatively low in apple fruit during development. This is in line with the typical mild acidity and sweet flavor profile of apples of the variety of Dorsett Golden. This rise in pH may be associated with the metabolic conversion of malic acid to acid-free compounds, which usually occurs during the process of fruit maturation, and which is generally observed in low-chill varieties that are kept at high temperature earlier in life. Similar acidity trends have been reported in other cultivars like cultivar, like 'Anna' and Dorsett Golden' and the effect of climatic adaptation on acid metabolism (Gerald et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR9\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2025\u003c/span\u003e). Developmental stage also played a very strong role in carbohydrate metabolism. Reducing sugars showed an upward trend as fruits grew where they rose up to 2.55\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.6 to 4.74\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.32 mg g\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e DM at maturity. This accumulation indicates starch hydrolysis and the on-going translocation of photoassimilates of the source tissues which are involved in the development of flavour and energy provision during ripening. Similar sugar accumulation has been documented in other apple genotypes and show that the extent of sugar accumulation is early onset of sugar accumulation in precocious genotypes (Wu et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR28\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2007\u003c/span\u003e; Deng et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR5\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2025\u003c/span\u003e). There were also changes in morphological features of the supporting structures of the fruit during growth. Specifically, pedicel length and width differences were noted and pedicel width extended at the later stages. It is probable that this trend is a manifestation of reinforcement of the vascular tissue as fruit mass increases, which shows that the relationship between fruit mass and structural support system is dynamic.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab1\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 1\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCompositional changes in Dorset apples during fruit growth.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"14\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c6\" colnum=\"6\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c7\" colnum=\"7\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c8\" colnum=\"8\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c9\" colnum=\"9\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c10\" colnum=\"10\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c11\" colnum=\"11\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c12\" colnum=\"12\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c13\" colnum=\"13\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c14\" colnum=\"14\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eDAFB (Days After Full Bloom)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eapparent solid density (ρ, kg, m\u0026ndash;3)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eFruit stalk length (mm)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c5\" namest=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eFruit stalk width (mm)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c7\" namest=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMoisture content (%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c9\" namest=\"c8\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePH\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c11\" namest=\"c10\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAT( g CA 100 mL-1)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c13\" namest=\"c12\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eGlucose (mg/g MS)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\" nameend=\"c14\" namest=\"c14\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e42\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e495.13\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;56.02abc\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c4\" namest=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e28.55\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;5.51a\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c6\" namest=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.85\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.35cd\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c8\" namest=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e79.16\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;10b\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c10\" namest=\"c9\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2.85\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.08f\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c12\" namest=\"c11\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.03\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.01a\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c14\" namest=\"c13\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2.55\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.6b\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e56\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e559.73\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;26.51a\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c4\" namest=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e17.94\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;4.01b\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c6\" namest=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.61\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.1d\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c8\" namest=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e92.48\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;6.82a\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c10\" namest=\"c9\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.61\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.01a\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c12\" namest=\"c11\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.01\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0d\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c14\" namest=\"c13\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2.63\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.73b\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e63\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e513.94\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;29.12ab\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c4\" namest=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e28.03\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;7.68a\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c6\" namest=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.95\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.47cd\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c8\" namest=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e84.06\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.53b\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c10\" namest=\"c9\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.48\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.01bc\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c12\" namest=\"c11\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.01\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.01cd\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c14\" namest=\"c13\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2.77\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.46b\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e77\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e488.44\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;26.59bcd\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c4\" namest=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e24.55\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;6.48ab\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c6\" namest=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2.21\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.48bc\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c8\" namest=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e84.89\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.65b\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c10\" namest=\"c9\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.44\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.01c\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c12\" namest=\"c11\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.02\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0bc\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c14\" namest=\"c13\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2.88\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.83b\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e84\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e455.98\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;34.64bcd\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c4\" namest=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e27.56\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;7.55a\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c6\" namest=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2.26\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.38bc\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c8\" namest=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e83.44\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.4b\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c10\" namest=\"c9\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.45\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.01bc\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c12\" namest=\"c11\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.01\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0cd\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c14\" namest=\"c13\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.41\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.6ab\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e91\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e443.95\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;15.48cd\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c4\" namest=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e32.68\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;4.96a\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c6\" namest=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e7.13\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.38a\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c8\" namest=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e84.78\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.48b\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c10\" namest=\"c9\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.49\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.01b\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c12\" namest=\"c11\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.01\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0d\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c14\" namest=\"c13\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.43\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.77ab\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e105\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e480.16\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;94.28bcd\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c4\" namest=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e27.33\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;6.74a\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c6\" namest=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2.48\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.35b\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c8\" namest=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e84.28\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;2.12b\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c10\" namest=\"c9\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.11\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.01e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c12\" namest=\"c11\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.02\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0ab\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c14\" namest=\"c13\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.71\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.46ab\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e126\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e422.84\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;25.52d\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c4\" namest=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e26.13\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;5.29ab\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c6\" namest=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2.13\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.24bcd\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c8\" namest=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e81.77\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.72b\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c10\" namest=\"c9\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.39\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.01d\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c12\" namest=\"c11\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.01\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0d\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c14\" namest=\"c13\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4.74\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.32a\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003ctfoot\u003e \u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd colspan=\"14\"\u003eValues expressed as mean\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;standard deviation. Different letters in the same row indicate significant differences (p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.05, ANOVA, Tukey post-test).\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tfoot\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cb\u003ePolyphenol Accumulation and Antioxidant Capacity During Development\u003c/b\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eSignificant differences were observed among developmental stages in phenolic compounds (Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab2\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e; Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig3\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e). The highest content of total phenolic content (TPC) and total flavonoid content (TFC) occurred in the initial stages of fruit development and decreased gradually to the maturity stage. High phenolic levels were observed at 42\u0026ndash;56 DAFB were 24.10\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;12.47 mg GAE/100 g indicating the high secondary metabolic activity of immature fruit tissues. These initial phases are associated with the times when the level of defensive activity is elevated, and the phenolic compounds help to protect against environmental stress and attackers. TPC and TFC were found to decrease as fruit development progressed with TFC value of 125.81\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;13.95mg QE/100 g at 126 DAFB. This has generally been explained by the dilution effect caused by high cell proliferation rate with the growing structural biomass lowering the phenolic content per unit mass in spite of ongoing biosynthesis (Jiang et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR13\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2006\u003c/span\u003e; Renard et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR21\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2007\u003c/span\u003e). This relatively rapid decline in phenolic levels in \u0026lsquo;Dorsett Golden\u0026rsquo; apples could also be associated with shortening of the development cycle of the apple that is characteristic of low-chill apples that are cultivated under warm climatic conditions. These dynamics may also be added to by environmental factors. The high temperatures of low-chill producing areas have been demonstrated to stimulate the acceleration of phenolic degradation and biosynthetic phase of secondary metabolites, which eventually lead to reduced phenolic retention at full maturity (Pasquet et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR18\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2024\u003c/span\u003e). The phenolic persistence of the fruit of the cultivar at maturity, in comparison with those of late-season, including the cultivars like 'Fuji' or 'Golden Delicious', may seem to be fairly low, which is consistent with the precocious physiological traits of the cultivar (Gumul et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR10\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2024\u003c/span\u003e; Gerald et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR9\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2025\u003c/span\u003e). Antioxidant activity measured using DPPH, ABTS, and FRAP assays showed different developmental patterns (Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab2\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e). The radical scavenging activity in DPPH and ABTS scored rose moderately in later stages of development but FRAP values declined gradually with time with the values reaching to 0.05 +- 0.01 mmol g-1 towards maturity. These contrasting responses indicate complex antioxidant dynamics in fruit ripening. The variability between antioxidant assays is often explained by the differences in the sensitivity to a particular antioxidant mechanism. Whereas DPPH and ABTS tests largely indicate radical scavenging activity, FRAP is the one that indicates ferric-reducing capacity. Accordingly, the variations of the antioxidant profiles with the maturation of fruits can indicate alterations in the proportion of the various phenolic subclasses or the participation of non-phenolic antioxidants like ascorbic acid (Huang et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR11\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2005\u003c/span\u003e; Prior et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR19\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2005\u003c/span\u003e). The drop in FRAP values could therefore be linked to a drop in ferric-reducing compounds, such as ascorbate, in the ripening process, which has been already observed in apple varieties like 'Elstar' and Jonagold' (Chien et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR4\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2007\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab2\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 2\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAntioxidant activity changes in Dorset apples during fruit growth.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"4\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eDAFB\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eDPPH (mmol/g)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eABTS (mmol/g)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eFRAP (mmol/g)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e42\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.07\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0d\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.21\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.01c\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.09\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0a\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e56\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.07\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0d\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.21\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.01c\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.09\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.02a\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e63\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.07\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.01cd\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.21\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0bc\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.09\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.01ab\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e77\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.07\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.01cd\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.21\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0bc\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.09\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.01ab\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e84\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.08\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0bc\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.22\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.01ab\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.07\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.01bc\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e91\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.08\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0b\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.22\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.01ab\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.07\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0c\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e105\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.09\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.01ab\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.22\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.01ab\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.05\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0d\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e126\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.09\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0a\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.22\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.01a\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.05\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.01d\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003ctfoot\u003e \u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd colspan=\"4\"\u003eValues expressed as mean\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;standard deviation. Different letters in the same row indicate significant differences (p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.05, ANOVA, Tukey post-test).\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tfoot\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eSimilar developmental patterns in antioxidant capacity have also been reported in other fleshy fruits, including pomegranate, suggesting that these biochemical transitions represent a common metabolic response during fruit maturation (Kulkarni and Aradhya \u003cspan citationid=\"CR15\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2005\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cb\u003eRelationships Between Polyphenols and Antioxidant Activity\u003c/b\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eCorrelation analysis showed that total phenolic concentration does not solely determine antioxidant capacity of the apples of the variety, 'Dorsett Golden' but also the composition of certain phenolic subclasses (Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig3\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e). A close relationship was found between DPPH and FRAP (r\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.88), indicating overlap of radical-scavenging and reducing processes. On the contrary, the correlation between DPPH and total phenolic content showed a weak correlation (r = =-0.17) which shows that each phenolic compound has a different contribution to antioxidant activity. In the same vein, the relationship between FRAP and TPC was weak (r\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.06), implying that the amount of ferric-reducing capacity cannot be entirely explained by the overall phenolic concentration. Such variations across antioxidant assays have also been common with apple tissues and other fruit matrices, especially in the early stages of development where metabolic composition varies at a rapid rate (Schieber et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR22\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2001\u003c/span\u003e; Zheng et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR31\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2012\u003c/span\u003e; Suleria et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR25\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2020\u003c/span\u003e). The findings indicate the significance of using more than one antioxidant assay to provide a detailed description of the antioxidant dynamics that occur during the development of fruits. Applied, the findings have revealed intermediate stages of development (56\u0026ndash;84 DAFB) as the most desirable stage at which the bioactive compounds of the apples can be recovered in the case of the 'Dorsett Golden' apples. Fruits during this period showed high levels of phenolic as well as high antioxidant activity. The periods are associated with the time of harvesting immature fruits that are largely removed in the orchard thinning process. It has also been indicated that immature fruit tissues represent much potential sources of natural antioxidants and bioactive compounds that can be used as nutraceutical, cosmetic, and functional food products (Adil et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR1\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2007\u003c/span\u003e; Zeng et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR30\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e). The concentration of phenolic compounds at these stages is quite high hence justifying the possibility of valorising thinned apples as raw material in extraction of antioxidants. This could be in the form of the development of natural preservatives, antioxidant food ingredients, and the use of bioactive formulations that can be used in cosmetic applications or pharmaceutical applications (Awad et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR2\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2001\u003c/span\u003e; Sharifi-Rad et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR23\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2020\u003c/span\u003e; Nirmal et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR17\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"4. Conclusion","content":"\u003cp\u003eThe present study described the physicochemical growth, polyphenol levels, as well as the antioxidant dynamics of Malus domestica cv. Dorsett Golden across eight developmental stages (42\u0026ndash;126 days after full bloom). Large increases in fruit size and mass were observed, as weight increased by 1.25\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.46 g and volume by 2.56\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.02 cm\u003csup\u003e3\u003c/sup\u003e to 351.24\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;75.36 cm\u003csup\u003e3\u003c/sup\u003e. Biochemical alterations were observed concurrently; pH was gradually elevated, and reducing sugars were reduced, indicating progression toward physiological maturity. Clear developmental differences were observed in polyphenolic compounds. Optimal levels were observed during the early and intermediate stages of fruit growth with the total phenolic content up to 24.10\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;12.47 mg GAE/100 g. The assay-dependent antioxidant capacities exhibited moderate maturation effects, with the DPPH and ABTS radical-scavenging activities either rising in proportion to maturation, or the ferric-reducing capacity decreased to 0.05\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.01 mmol g\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e later. Correlation analysis revealed that the total phenolic concentration was not the sole determinant of antioxidant activity and the effect of the phenolic composition and other antioxidant constituents were significant. From a practical perspective, developmental window of 56\u0026ndash;84 DAFB seems especially good when it comes to recovery of phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity. These stages coincide with the period when young fruits are typically removed during the orchard thinning exercises. The results of the biochemical analysis of the stages highlight the potential use of thinned apples of the variety Dorsett Golden as the sources of natural bioactive compounds to be used in the functional food, nutraceutical, or industrial purposes. This kind of valorization can help in minimizing the waste in agriculture and increase the economic value of apple production systems.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Declarations","content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAuthor Contributions\u0026nbsp;HB\u003c/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026nbsp;:\u003c/strong\u003e Writing-original draft, data curation, formal analysis. \u003cstrong\u003eAH, KE\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003eand\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026nbsp;RM:\u003c/strong\u003e Conceptualization, validation, co-supervision, writing-review. \u003cstrong\u003eLO, KE\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003eand \u003cstrong\u003eME\u003c/strong\u003e provide technical support, analysing of data and carried out manuscript review. \u003cstrong\u003eJC\u003c/strong\u003e Conceptualization, Data curation, Methodology, Project administration, Validation, Writing \u0026ndash; review \u0026amp; editing.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFunding\u003c/strong\u003e No funding was received for conducting this study.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eData Availability\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003eThe data is available under request\u003cstrong\u003e.\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEthical Approval\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003eNot applicable.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eConflict of Interests\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003eThe authors declare no competing interest\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eConsent for Publication\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003eAll authors approve this manuscript for publication of results\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"References","content":"\u003col\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAdil, İ. 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A profile of physicochemical and antioxidant changes during fruit growth for the utilization of unripe apples. \u003cem\u003eFood Chemistry\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003e131\u003c/em\u003e(1), 106\u0026ndash;110. ttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2011.08.038\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003c/ol\u003e"}],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":true,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":false,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":false,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":false,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":false,"email":"","identity":"applied-fruit-science","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"","title":"Applied Fruit Science","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":false,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"VoR Journals","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":false},"keywords":"Dorset apple, fruit development, phenolic compounds, antioxidant activity, unripe apple.","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-9106675/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-9106675/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003eFruit development has a strong effect on the biochemical structure and antioxidant activity of apples, especially in warm-climate cultivars. The current experiment investigated the development of physicochemical characteristics, polyphenol accumulation and antioxidant activity in Malus domestica Borkh. cv. Dorsett Golden over eight developmental stages between 42 and 126 days after full bloom (DAFB). Growth parameters were also evaluated, fruit apparent density, moisture content, pH, titratable acidity and reducing sugars alongside biochemical parameters, total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC) and antioxidant activity (DPPH, ABTS and FRAP). Fruit apparent density and reducing sugars increased as development progressed and the moisture content peaked at 56 DAFB and then started to decline gradually to maturity. There was a significant developmental difference in the polyphenolic compounds, where TPC reached 24.10\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;12.47 mg GAE/100 g, and TFC reduced to 125.81\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;13.95 mg QE/100 g at 126 DAFB. Assay-dependent patterns of antioxidant activity were observed: DPPH and ABTS activities rose throughout ripening whereas FRAP values reduced and were at 0.05\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.01 mmol g\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e. Correlation analysis showed that there were complex relationships between the antioxidant capacity and the phenolic composition. The developmental stages (56\u0026ndash;84 DAFB) were characterized by high phenolic levels and high antioxidant potential. These results indicate that immature apples removed during thinning are potentially useful in the production of nutraceutical and functional foods due to the presence of bioactive compounds in them.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Developmental Dynamics of Physicochemical Traits, Polyphenols, and Antioxidant Capacity in ‘Dorset’ Apples and Valorization of Unripe Fruits","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2026-03-20 16:07:16","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-9106675/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":1},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"37056375422248021415831080422952831242","date":"2026-05-07T21:19:56+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2026-04-01T15:48:05+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"197857243811584831930039043866096790091","date":"2026-04-01T15:21:03+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"176415969093020994127876704801711457761","date":"2026-03-31T20:32:59+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewersInvited","content":"","date":"2026-03-18T07:18:09+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorAssigned","content":"","date":"2026-03-14T13:50:16+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"checksComplete","content":"","date":"2026-03-14T13:50:13+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"submitted","content":"Applied Fruit Science","date":"2026-03-12T15:37:52+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":false,"email":"","identity":"applied-fruit-science","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"","title":"Applied Fruit Science","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":false,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"VoR Journals","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":false}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"801b05ce-cbc8-4a9b-988c-fbaab86d8a51","owner":[],"postedDate":"March 20th, 2026","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"37056375422248021415831080422952831242","date":"2026-05-07T21:19:56+00:00","index":19,"fulltext":""}],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"under-review","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2026-03-20T16:07:16+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2026-03-20 16:07:16","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-9106675","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-9106675","identity":"rs-9106675","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"XKTyCvWXoU3ODBz1xrDgd","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}