Comparison of old cherry cultivars grown in Czech Republic by chemical composition and bioactive compounds.

Sweet cherry fruits are readily consumed by humans, and they contain significant quantities of bioactive compounds. Fifteen sweet cherry (Prunus avium L.) old cultivars grown in the Czech Republic were examined. In fresh fruits the contents of sugars, organic acids, and phenolic compounds, and antioxidant capacity were determined. The analyses showed that the fruits of sweet cherry are characterized by high contents of bioactive compounds. Four organic acids - malic, quinic, shikimic, and fumaric acid - were determined in examined fruits. The cultivar 'Lyonská Raná' was characterized by the highest total polyphenol content (202.28mg GAE/100g FW) and high antioxidant activity (ABTS - 2765.3µmol TE/100g FW, FRAP - 1663.67µmol TE/100g FW), with the lowest content of organic acids. The 'Šakvická' cultivar was characterized by the highest content sum of sugars (16.36g/100g FW) and sweetness (19.08g/100g FW), with low contents of polyphenols and antioxidant activity.