Abstract
The increasing consumption of sugars is one of the factors contributing to the obesity epidemic. Our research was carried out on the sugar composition of apples.
The purpose of the study was to determine the quantitative and qualitative composition of sugars of different apple varieties from the East Bohemia region. In this study dry matter content and sensory characteristics were also evaluated.
Apples contain fructose, glucose and sucrose. Fructose is known to be a highly lipogenic sugar that has profound metabolic effects in the liver, and has been associated with many of the components of the metabolic syndrome (insulin resistence, elevated waist circumference, dyslipidemia, and hypertension).
Fructose, glucose and sucrose in different apple cultivars were extracted with ethanol, derivatized, and determined by gas chromatography. 17 cultivars of apple were analysed. The average fructose content was 6.52 +- 1 g/100 g of apple (8.1 - Golden Delicious, 4.8 - Selena), glucose content 1.46 +- 0.55 g/100 g of apple (3 - Red Delicious, 0.9 - Ontario), and sucrose content 4.75 +- 1.35 g/100 g of apple (7.2 Opal, 2.1 Melrose).
The cultivars suitable for nutrition of patients with metabolic syndrome are Selena and Ontario.