Juice Constituents in Actinidia arguta Fruits Produced in Shinjo, Okayama

Actinidia arguta fruits were collected from cultivated and wild vines in Shinjo Village, Okayama Prefecture, in order to evaluate their compositional characteristics, especially as a possible "healthy fruit". Imported kiwifruit (cv.Hayward) and lemon (cultivar unknown), and domestic apple (cv.Fuji) were purchased at a market in Okayama and analyzed for the reference. Hard-mature and soft-ripe fruits of normal size were harvested from each vine as well as soft-ripe small-sized fruit. Juice vitamin C contents were as high as 220mg/100mL in hard-mature Mine-ko fruit with a normal size and 260mg/100mL in soft-ripe small Mitsu-ko fruit. Vitamin C contents in kiwifruit, lemon, and apple were about 100mg/100ml, 50mg/100ml, respectively. Juice total polyphenol content and DPPH radical scavenging activity in A. arguta fruit but the total sugar content was the lowest. Flesh Ca, Mg, Mn contents were higher in A. arguta fruit than in kiwifruit and apple. From these results, A.arguta fruit produced in Shinjo can be evaluated as vitamin C-rich fruit with abundant polyphenol substances, and several useful minerals such as Ca, Mg, and Mn.