# Biochemical Profile and Antioxidant Activity of Fresh Fruits from Apple Genotypes
## 3 Results and Discussion
### The Content of Carotenes (Lycopene and \(\beta\)-Carotene)  
Lycopene and \(\beta\)-carotene are two carotenoid pigments that contribute to the color of fruits and vegetables and play an important role in health due to their antioxidant properties. However, in case of apples, these compounds are not present in significant concentrations, unlike in other fruits [35]. Apples contain extremely low concentrations of lycopene or may even not contain this compound at all [36]. The concentrations determined in the analyzed genotypes ranged between 0.25 and 0.95 mg/100 g (Table 3). \(\beta\)-carotene, a precursor of vitamin A, is found in small quantities in apples, with the concentrations identified being between 0.03 (H1/55) and 0.50 mg/100 g (H19/6). The concentration varied depending on the genotype: those with more intense colors (yellow-orange or reddish) generally had higher levels of beta-carotene than those with a green color. Although the concentrations of lycopene and \(\beta\)-carotene are low, their variability depending on the fruit color suggests the nutraceuticalul potential of genotypes with more intense colors. Table 4 shows the correlation matrix and highlights the statistical relationships between the analyzed variables, highlighting the link between antioxidant activity and bioactive compounds. In the analysis, antioxidant activity recorded significant positive correlations with several parameters, suggesting that these compounds directly contribute to the free radical neutralization capacity. Antioxidant activity exhibited significant positive correlations with TPC (r = 0.599, \(p<0.01\)), TTC (r = 0.519, \(p<0.01\)), TFC (r = 0.841, \(p<0.01\)), and TAC (r = 0.613, \(p<0.01\)). The strong positive correlation between antioxidant activity and TPC suggests that polyphenols play a key role in antioxidant activity by inhibiting oxidative processes. This relationship emphasizes that polyphenols are among the most important contributors to the antioxidant capacity of the samples [37]. Antioxidant activity was also positively correlated with TTC, suggesting the involvement of tannins in protecting against oxidative stress. This property is strongly associated with their chemical structure, characterized by phenolic rings capable of interacting with various molecules and acting as electron scavengers to neutralize ions and free radicals [38; 39]. The strong correlation between antioxidant activity and TTC suggests that flavonoids are the key bioactive compounds driving antioxidant activity. Known for their powerful antioxidant properties, flavonoids prevent free radical damage by scavenging reactive oxygen species, activating antioxidant enzymes, inhibiting oxidases, and reducing \(\alpha\)-tocopherol radicals [40]. Antioxidant activity was closely associated with TAC, suggesting a significant contribution of anthocyanins to antioxidant capacity. Anthocyanins, natural pigments from the flavonoid class, are recognized for their antioxidant power and their role in preventing oxidative stress [41]. \begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c c c c c c c} \hline  & **TPC** & **TTC** & **TFC** & **TAC** & **Lycopene** & **B-Carotene** & **DPPH\(\bullet\)** \\ \hline TPC & \(1\) & \(0.487\)** & \(0.501\)** & \(0.378\)** & \(-0.094\) & \(0.232\) & \(0.599\)** \\ \hline TTC & \(0.487\)** & \(1\) & \(0.446\)** & \(0.090\) & \(-0.246\) & \(-0.383\)** & \(0.519\)** \\ \hline TFC & \(0.501\)** & \(0.446\)** & \(1\) & \(0.414\)** & \(0.294\) & \(0.281\) & \(0.841\)** \\ \hline TAC & \(0.378\)** & \(0.090\) & \(0.414\)** & \(1\) & \(-0.084\) & \(0.312\)** & \(0.613\)** \\ \hline Lycopene & \(-0.094\) & \(-0.246\) & \(0.294\) & \(-0.084\) & \(1\) & \(0.254\) & \(0.188\) \\ \hline B-carotene & \(0.232\) & \(-0.383\)** & \(0.281\) & \(0.312\)** & \(0.254\) & \(1\) & \(0.253\) \\ \hline DPPH\(\bullet\) & \(0.599\)** & \(0.519\)** & \(0.841\)** & \(0.613\)** & \(0.188\) & \(0.253\) & \(1\) \\ \hline \end{tabular}
\end{table} 
Table 4: Correlations between bioactive compounds found in apple genotypes.