Sugar, Non-volatile and Phenolic Acids Composition of Strawberry Tree (Arbutus unedo L. var.ellipsoidea ) Fruits

Using GC-MS, phenolic and non-volatile acids and soluble sugars were identified and quantified in strawberry tree (Arbutus unedo L.) fruits. The phenolic acids quantified were gallic (10.7 mg/g dry weight), gentisic (1.9 mg/g), protocatechuic (0.6 mg/g), p -hydroxybenzoic (0.3 mg/g), vanillic (0.12 mg/g) and m -anisic (0.05 mg/g). From the group of non-volatile acids, fumaric (1.94 mg/g dry weight), lactic (0.84 mg/g), malic (0.84 mg/g), suberic (0.23 mg/g) and citric acids were found. Fructose, glucose, sucrose and maltose were the soluble sugars identified and quantified in the amount of 27.8, 21.5, 1.8 and 1.11% dry weight, respectively. Fructose and glucose among the sugars, fumaric and malic acids among the non-volatile acids and gallic acid among the phenolic acids were found to be major compounds contributing the taste of the fruits.