Sugars in 'Sarılop' fig fruits

'Sarılop' is the main Turkish fig cultivar for sun drying. In most studies, representative samples of fruit lot are taken and analyzed to determine the average composition or quality. It is also well-known that variation exists among individual fruit even in the same tree. The study aimed to determine the variation in sugar composition of fig fruit (Ficus carica L. 'Sarılop') that occurs during drying. Fruits were collected at fresh, shrivelled (partially dried) and dried stages from two rain-fed orchards in Meşeli and Akmescit villages. In fresh fruit, peel and flesh were analyzed separately. Sugar fractions, glucose, fructose and sucrose were quantified by UHPLC using a refractive index detector. The results confirm that fructose and glucose are the major sugars in fig fruit. However, the analyses of individual fruits showed that glucose/fructose ratios vary between fresh and dried fruit. The peel of fresh fruits either has equal levels of both reducing sugars or slightly higher levels of glucose at concentrations around 6.0 g 100 g-1. Fruit flesh had a total of 11 to 15 g 100 g-1 of monosaccharides. Sucrose is detected only in some of fully dried fruits at concentrations of up to 3.23 g 100 g-1 DW. The presence of sucrose only in some individual dried fruit explains the contradictory results of previous researchers stating the presence or non-existence of glucose in fig fruit. © 2020 International Society for Horticultural Science. All rights reserved.