Use of ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry on sweet cherries to determine phenolic compounds in peel and flesh.

Sweet cherries (Prunus avium L.) are rich in polyphenols and have high antioxidant potential. This study deals with the use of ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry on five cherry cultivars, namely Caihong, Sunburst, Summit, 23-51 and Valeri, to determine the free, conjugated and bound phenolics in peel and flesh. Phenolics varied widely based on cherry cultivars and edible parts. Valeri showed the highest phenolics in peel, while the flesh of 23-51 contained a higher amount of phenolic substances compared with the other cherries, mainly due to high levels of cyanidin-3-O-rutinoside, which was the most abundant phenolic in sweet cherry. Most of the phenolics, except for ferulic acid and vanillic acid, were present at a higher level in peel than in flesh. Principal component analysis indicated that compared with different edible parts, the phenolic compounds were more influenced by cultivar. Cultivar had a much greater impact on the accumulation of phenolics than edible parts. The peel of Valeri contained the highest phenolics; for the flesh, 23-51 had the highest levels. The high variability in phenolic compounds in peel and flesh among cultivars may be useful for breeding and underlines the importance of germplasm conservation activities. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry.