Polyphenols of Traditional Apple Varieties - The Overview

Apples are one of the most popular foods around the world. However, recently there has been a growing interest in the preservation of traditional apple varieties. This interest has grown due to the studies that suggest that traditional apples contain higher amounts of polyphenolics and antioxidant activity compared to commercial ones. Polyphenolics in apples have gained much attention because of their beneficial effects on human health, and thus they became a quality trait of apples. Traditional apple varieties have the same groups of polyphenols as commercial ones and those are flavan-3-ols, phenolic acids, flavonols, dihydrochalcones, and anthocyanins. However, traditional apple varieties proved to be rich in some individual polyphenolics, such as procyanidins B1, B2, A2, epicatechin, quercetin-3-rutinoside, chlorogenic acid, etc. This chapter is underlying the great potential of traditional apple varieties as a source of some individual polyphenolics and natural antioxidants.