Phytochemical Properties and Volatile Composition Profile of Nine Early Maturing Mandarins Cultivated in South-East Spain

Many new varieties of mandarins have not been characterized from the nutritional and organoleptic point of view. It is important to know this information in order to select the cultivars of the highest quality. We characterized the physicochemical properties of 9 commercial early-maturing mandarins from south-east Spain: Four "Traditional Clementines" (Clemenules, Orogrande, Arrufatina, Oronules), 4 "New Clementines" (Loretina, Mioro, Clemenpons and Clemenrubí or Prim-23) and one "Satsuma" (Iwasaqui). ‘Oronules’, ‘Clemenules’ and ‘Iwasaki’ were the varieties that had the highest fresh weight (>120 g). The “Mioro” variety had the highest acidity (12.50 g L-1), and the juices from “Loretina” and “Mioro” showed the highest values of total soluble solids: 12.77 and 12.57 (ºBrix), respectively. “Loretina” and “Oronules” showed the most elevated values of total phenolic compounds, with 78.75 and 75.56 mg L-1 respectively. The main volatile compound was the monoterpene limonene. Following limonene in concentration was b-myrcene (25 μg L-1). “Clemenrubí” was the best variety for fresh consumption among the 9 examined, due to its high content of total phenols and ascorbic acid. Limonene was the main aroma of the mandarin juice, and the “Mioro” cultivar showed a different profile from the rest of cultivars studied according to the principal component analysis performed.