Evaluation of pomological and nutritional characteristics of ‘Kaki Tipo’ and ‘Rojo Brillante’ persimmon fruits at the ripe-stage eating quality

Persimmon fruit ‘Kaki Tipo’ (PVNA), a cultivar widely grown in Italy, is mostly marketed as seedless soft fruit, while ‘Rojo Brillante’ (PVA), the leading variety in Spain, is commercialized as firm fruit after artificial removal of astringency. In this study, fruits of both cultivars were purchased in a local supermarket at the ripe-stage eating quality and analyzed for their pomological and nutritional characteristics. Fruit weight, size, color, consistency, titratable acidity, total soluble solids, as well as the amount of different sugars were assessed. Nutritional quality of persimmons included ascorbic acid, polyphenols, and antioxidant capacity assessed by three different analytical methods (FRAP, ABTS, DPPH). The antioxidant capacity was evaluated in fresh tissue and after a simulated digestion to assess its dietary significance to the consumer. The chemical characterization of the fresh fruits for a number of individual polyphenols was also performed by LC-MS/MS analysis. Main polyphenols identified in both persimmon cultivars belonged to the flavanol (e.g., catechin and catechin-3-gallate), flavonol (e.g. quercetin glycoside) and phenolic acid (e.g., gallic acid) classes. Significant differences were highlighted in the composition pattern for ‘Kaki Tipo’ and ‘Rojo Brillante’ persimmons.