Apricot fruits are a favorite for consumption; however, their kernels are a rich source of nutritionally interesting substances, too. Nevertheless, in processing of apricots, the kernels remain often unused. In this study, 32 cultivars of different origin were analyzed for their protein content and content of secondary metabolites (phenolics and flavonoids). The weight and taste of kernels were assessed and these data were summarized for an evaluation of the attractiveness of the studied apricot kernels. Results showed that the protein content of kernels ranged from 14.56% to 28.77% and did not depend on the origin or weight of kernel, or taste. In addition, total phenolic (63.5–1277.3 mg GAE/100 g DW) and total flavonoid (0–153.1 mg CE/100 g DW) contents and antioxidant capacity (483.4–2348.4 mg TE/100 g DW) were measured in kernels. In conclusion, the Czech hybrids LE-5959, LE-5500 and French cultivar Koolgat are prospective for kernel processing and consumption because of their high protein content and sweet taste. Hybrid LI-3-6, originating in China, showed high protein content as well but because of bitter taste could be useful rather in medicine.

Peaches (Prunus persica L.) are a popular and sought-after dessert fruit. This is mainly due to their flavour, aroma, attractive appearance, and high content of substances that play an important role in human nutrition. The present study was carried out to determine some important analytical properties (sugars/sucrose, glucose, fructose and sorbitol), total acid, total phenolics, flavonoids, antioxidant capacity, carotenoids and anthocyanins of 34 selected peach varieties. The analyses are also complemented by colorimetric measurements of peach skin colour using CIELAB and other chromatic parameters. The results show, for example, that all peach varieties are good sources of phenolic compounds (9.43–577 mg gallic acid equivalent (GAE).100 g⁻¹), flavonoids (1.12–95.1 mg catechin equivalent (CAE).100 g⁻¹), and antioxidant capacity (136–462 mg Trolox equivalent (TE).100 g⁻¹).

Various treatments are carried out in order to extend both the shelf life and storage life of fresh fruit and vegetables after harvest and among them non-toxic for humans, environmentally and economically friendly alternative treatments are gained more importance. In the current study, methyl jasmonate (MeJA), cytokinin, and lavender oil which are eco-friendly and safe for human health were applied on apricot fruit. The treated fruit were stored at 0 °C and 90–95% relative humidity for 25 days and catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and ascorbate peroxidase (APX) enzyme activities and lipid peroxidation of apricots after treatments were studied. According to the findings obtained from the study, it was observed that 5 ppm cytokinin and 1000 ppm lavender oil treatments of apricot fruit gave better APX and CAT enzyme activity, respectively. In addition, better SOD enzyme activity in fruit was obtained with MeJA + lavender oil treatments. As a result, it can be emphasized that the product quality of apricot fruit is preserved as both the eco-friendly application of MeJA, cytokinin, and lavender oil separately from each other and the treatment of combinations between these compounds activate the enzymatic antioxidant defense systems of apricot fruit after harvest.

Previous study hsas confirmed the influence of rootstock on the scion. Using a suitable rootstock for plum cultivar can affect many qualitative parameters of fruit. This study deals with the pomological and chemical analysis of three plums of Japanese origin (Prunus salicina) ‘Black Amber’, ‘Karkulka’, ‘Shiro’ and one European origin (Prunus domestica) ‘Stanley’ grown on five different rootstock (Ishtara, St. Julien A, Torinel, Citation and Penta) planted in Czech Republic. During the year, the phenological phases of date of blooming, flower set, date of ripening, and fruit set were determined. In this study, significant negative correlation (p < 0.05, R = −0.6831) was determined between fruit set and fruit weight. Rootstocks did not have influence on the fruit weight, but ‘Karkulka’ reached significantly higher fruit weight on St. Julien A and Citation rootstocks (32 g) than on the other three rootstocks (24 to 26 g). For all cultivars, fruit firmness and soluble solid content (SSC) were measured. The rootstocks greatly influenced the titratable acidity of plums which reached the highest value for cultivars grown on Citation rootstock (from 0.65 to 2.43%) and the lowest when grown on Ishtara rootstock (from 0.53 to 1.88%). In addition, total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), and antioxidant capacity were determined. The cultivars on Ishtara rootstock reached the highest values of TPC (from 336.26 to 562.75 mg (GAE)/100 g). The results presented in this study show influence of rootstock on quality of plums, where Ishtara rootstock was highlighted as the best.

Apricot (Prunus armeniaca L.) is an important fruit crop and member of the Prunus genus of the Rosaceae family that is planted in many temperate regions worldwide. The quality of fruit is assessed by many pomological parameters which can serve as a decisive factor in apricot breeding, because the introduction of new cultivars is required. These parameters can differ with climate conditions, geographical location or geographic ecological origin. Similarly, another biological characteristic can be measured depending on these terms. The present study was conducted with the aim of estimating pomological traits together with the nuclear DNA content of 35 apricot cultivars with different geographical origins. Only CV values lower than 5% were considered in flow cytometry analysis. All analyzed cultivars were diploid and the genome size value ranged from 0.587 to 0.644 pg/2C, where Turkish apricots reached the highest value (on average 0.628 pg/2C) followed by the European group (on average 0.625 pg/2C). A Spearman-rank correlation was used and the different correlation was found for specific geographical groups of apricot cultivars. The genome size values of apricots and related botanical species P. mume, P. sibirica and P. ansu showed to be very similar values.

Climate change has a negative effect on the environment in which traditional fruit species are grown and, at the same time, offers the potential for cultivation of new species. Japanese plums derived from P. salicina Lindley are a fruit species that is slowly being introduced to the Czech Republic. Therefore, there are efforts to find ways to grow these varieties. In our experiment, selected nursery traits that are important for the production of Japanese plum saplings in the region of the Czech Republic were evaluated. The main evaluation criteria were scion affinity, sapling yield, and selected growth characteristics. The results show that the best affinity was achieved with the Adesoto (92.0%) and the Torinel (90.0%) rootstocks. Moderate levels of affinity were found for Brompton (84.2%) and St. Julien A (80.0%) rootstocks. Weak affinity was found only for the rootstock Wavit (52.7%). The economically significant trait is the yield of saplings; here, the highest yields were obtained with the Adesoto rootstock (88.4%) and the Japanese plum variety ‘Black Star’ (89.3%). Generally, the Adesoto and Torinel rootstocks proved to be the most suitable for use with Japanese plum varieties.