Valorization of traditional portuguese apples and cherries: biochemical characterization and development of functional ingredients

Dissertation presented to obtain a Ph.D degree in Engineering and Technology Sciences, Biotechnology at the Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica, Universidade Nova de Lisboa

The consumption of fruits and vegetables is widely recognized to be beneficial to human health and this is mainly attributed to their high content in functional constituents, such as vitamins, carotenoids and polyphenols. In Portugal, the annual production of apples and cherries is about 300,000 and 17,000 ton, respectively. Between all varieties produced, there are some traditional fruits, which are only cultivated in specific regions of the country. In general, these traditional varieties are very appreciated by consumers due to their unique sensorial properties. However, they are less produced and thus more expensive than exotic cultivars. Within this context, this thesis focused on the valorization of these traditional Portuguese fruits in order to increase their productivity and competition in the market.(...)

With financial support from FCT, under contract SRFH/BD/19238/2004