EVALUATION OF FRUIT QUALITY IN SOME BLACK CURRANT CULTIVARS UNDER CONDITIONS OF MEADOW ARGES

Blackcurrant has nutritional and therapeutic qualities. Organic acids and vitamins are constituents of these fruits with antioxidant character. Comparative studies have shown that black currant fruit is on the first place, as regards the content of C vitamin. The purpose of this paper is to show the characteristics of the chemical changes that are responsible for black currant fruit quality. Research has been carried out during the period 2008-2010, at the Research Institute for Fruit Growing Pitesti, Maracineni, using new varieties of black currant: ‘Tines’, ‘Tisel’, ‘Ruben’, ‘Ben Hope’, ‘Titania’, ‘Ores’, ‘Bona’, ‘Tiben’, ‘124/3’. Fruit samples were collected in the period 1-10 July, in three repetitions of the experiment. Experimental plot consisted of rows with four black currant bushes turn, arranged in three repetitions. Physical measurements, chemical and biochemical determination took into account the following components: total sugar content (%), using the volumetric method of the Fehling-Soxlet, titratable acidity expressed in the content of organic acids – citric acid (%) using titrimetric method with sodium hydroxide reagent, vitamin C mg/100g edible part, who was wrapping by solvent extraction with hydrochloric acid 5% using iodometric method, total solids (%) through the gravimetric method. The data obtained from the analysis of the studied varieties were interpreted using the analysis of variance test Duncan. In these conditions, there have been high levels of total sugar over 12.00 (%) and vitamin C, over 230 mg/100 g fresh fruit to some varieties of black currant. Also the content of organic acids has high values to many of the varieties considered in the study.