Morphological and antioxidant characteristics of quince (Cydonia oblonga Mill.) and chinese quince fruit (Pseudocydonia sinensis Schneid.)

Quince (Cydonia oblonga Mill.) is a fruit species, whose fruits have a high therapeutic value and therefore are used in many countries in traditional medicine. Chinese quince (Pseudocydonia sinensis Schneid.) is a lesser used species, although it is a relative of quince. The aim of the study was to evaluate some morphological characters of both kinds of fruit and antioxidant activity of morphological parts of the fruit. For these experiments, two genotypes were used from each species growing in the Arboretum Mlyňany (Slovakia). We determined the antioxidant activity of different parts by the DPPH method. In the genotypes from the evaluated species C. oblonga/P. sinensis we determined the average weight of the fruit in the fresh condition to be in the range 147.61 - 253.27 g / 197.85 - 466.38 g, the exocarp weight 28.50 - 43.89 g / 24.85 - 45.10 g, the mesocarp weight 116.36 - 204.99 g / 160.30 - 389.80 g, the seed weight 1.05 - 1.54 g / 9.22 - 17.42 g, the height of fruit 74.09 - 80.88 mm / 98.06 - 124.48 mm, average of fruit 60.11 - 81.51 mm / 62.33 - 88.64 mm. In aqueous extracts we determined antioxidant activity of the species C. oblonga / P. sinensis in dry exocarp in the range 43.52 - 67.73% / 52.76 - 82.20%, in fresh mesocarp 7.36 -14.78% / 15.30 - 23.50%, in dry mesocarp 30.92 - 41.30% / 41.68 - 50.15% and dry endocarp 55.19 - 76.44% / 91.20 - 92.72%. We determined antioxidant activity in methanolic extracts of the species C. oblonga / P. sinensis in dry exocarp in the range 93.29 - 93.32% / 91.87 - 93.25%, in fresh mesocarp 10.29 - 36.0% / 17.10 - 17.11%, in dry mesocarp 54.55 - 74.11% / 80.39 - 84.11% and in dry endocarp 95.14 - 95.39% / 94.97 - 95.62%. Results document that the fruits of both species can be practically used in the preparation of many dishes, while they can be used as raw material for pharmaceutical and cosmetic use.