Morphological and Biochemical Characteristics of Wild Loquat (Eriobotrya japonica Lindl.) Genotypes in Turkey

© 2022, University of Zagreb, Faculty of Mining, Geology and Petroleum Engineering. All rights reserved.This study was carried out to determine the pomological and biochemical characteristics of eight different loquat genotypes collected from the Black Sea region (Turkey) in 2018. Totally 20 fruits, at the same ripening stage, were collected from the selected genotypes and tested. Results suggested that there were a high (0.768-0.907) positive and statistically significant correlations among all pomological features (P < 0.01) while the correlations among the biochemical compounds were weak and statistically non-significant (P > 0.05). According to the PCA (principal component analysis) analysis of the pomological characteristics, the genotype #1 was superior as compared with other genotypes. Contrary to the pomological characteristics, genotype #1 was found to have the lowest phenolic compounds and it was also moderate in sugar content but a high-grade genotype by organic acids, especially citric acid and malic acid. Furthermore, results suggested that genotypes #3, #4, #7 and #8 were identical and were rich in glucose, succinic acid, and total flavonoid. The results suggested that loquat fruits had a high potential for health benefits. The results are also a preliminary key reference for future studies in terms of loquat cultivation throughout the world and have high potential as a functional food.