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Morphological, mechanical and antioxidant properties of Portuguese almond cultivars

Journal of Food Science and Technology volume 55, pages 467–478 (2018)Cite this article

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate morphological (of fruit and kernel), mechanical (namely shell rupture force) and antioxidant properties (including phenolics and flavonoid content) of five Portuguese almond cultivars, comparing them with two commercial cultivars (Glorieta and Ferragnès). Of the analyzed traits, nut and kernel dimensions varied substantially and were used to describe cultivars. However, some traditional cultivars recorded similar (Pegarinhos), or even higher (Amendoão, Casanova and Refêgo) nut and kernel weight than commercial cultivars. Furthermore, shelling percentage of traditional cultivar (Bonita) was higher than commercial cultivars. Rupture force necessary to break fruits of all traditional cultivars was higher than commercial ones, and was correlated to nut weight cultivars. The phenolics, flavonoids content and antioxidants were higher for Casanova. Parameters like high kernel weight, low percentages of double kernels or losses during shelling and considerable higher phenolics and flavonoids content may be considered by industry during selection of almond.

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Acknowledgements

Ivo Oliveira is grateful to FCT—Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) for the Post-doctoral Fellowships SFRH/BPD/111005/2015. “This work is supported by : European Investment Funds by FEDER/COMPETE/POCI– Operacional Competitiveness and Internacionalization Programme, under Project POCI-01-0145-FEDER-006958 and National Funds by FCT—Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology, under the project UID/AGR/04033/2013.”

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Affiliations

  1. Centre for the Research and Technology of Agro-Environmental and Biological Sciences - CITAB, Universidade de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, UTAD, Quinta de Prados, 5000-801, Vila Real, Portugal

    Ivo Oliveira, Silvia Afonso & Berta Gonçalves

  2. Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering (DTU Chemical Engineering), Technical University of Denmark (DTU), 2800, Lyngby, Denmark

    Anne Meyer

  3. Department of Agronomy, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, Vila Real, Portugal

    Carlos Ribeiro

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  1. Ivo Oliveira
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  2. Anne Meyer
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  3. Silvia Afonso
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  4. Carlos Ribeiro
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  5. Berta Gonçalves
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Correspondence to Ivo Oliveira.

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Oliveira, I., Meyer, A., Afonso, S. et al. Morphological, mechanical and antioxidant properties of Portuguese almond cultivars. J Food Sci Technol 55, 467–478 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13197-017-2955-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13197-017-2955-3

Keywords

  • Almond
  • Prunus dulcis
  • Traditional cultivars
  • Morphological characterization
  • Antioxidant activity
  • Mechanical traits