Estimation of Certain Physical and Chemical Fruit Characteristics of Various Cherry Laurel (Laurocerasus officinalis Roem.) Genotypes

Fruits of 11 cherry laurel ( Laurocerasus officinalis L.) genotypes grown in a single location, Rize province, were analyzed for their fruit characteristics. Both physical and chemical characteristics of cherry laurel fruits were significantly influenced by genotypes. Fruit weight, the number of fruits per cluster, and flesh per seed ratio ranged between 1.87 and 4.01 g; 9.21 and 21.05, and 5.54 and 9.33, respectively. The genotypes R06 and R09 had the highest total anthocyanin [205 and 202 mg/100 g fresh weight (FW), respectively] and R06 and R11 had the highest total phenolic contents (503 and 481 mg/100 g FW, respectively). Total carotenoid and vitamin C contents ranged from 207 to 278 mg/100 g FW and 2.1 to 4.1 mg/100 g FW, respectively. Soluble solid content (SSC), crude fiber, crude protein, pectin, ash, and pH of genotypes fell between 9.64% and 17.10%; 0.44% and 0.85%; 1.44% and 2.09%; 0.20% and 0.47%; 0.25% and 0.71%, and 4.30 and 4.93, respectively. Data demonstrated that the great variations observed in the physical and chemical characteristics of individual cherry laurel genotypes might be explained by genotypic effect because all genotypes grew under the same ecological conditions. The investigated genotypes seemed to be perspective in health promotion.