Introduction
There is a growing interest in food compounds with a
possible health-protecting capacity. In epidemiological
research, the intake of fruits and vegetables has been
widely acknowledged to be inversely related to cancer incidence
and cardiovascular diseases. About one-third
of all cancer deaths could be avoided through appropriate
dietary modification by increasing the consumption of
fruits, vegetables and whole grains.
Phenolics, which play a crucial role in determining
the sensory and nutritional quality of fresh apples, are an
essential part of the human diet and are of considerable
interest due to their antioxidant properties. Among the
polyphenolic compounds found in apples, more than 50 %
are procyanidins (tannins), responsible for the pungent
and bitter taste of the fruit. The rest of the biologically
active structures are phenolic acids, dihydrochalcones,
quercetin glycosides, and anthocyanins. The main phenolic
acid in apples is chlorogenic acid and among dihydrochalcones
dominates phloridzin and phloretin-xyloglucoside.