Apricots, available throughout the year, in fresh, frozen, canned, or dried form, are a flavorful source of nutrients and are a convenient way to accomplish the “five-a-day” require- ment of five servings of fruits and vegetables daily. Apricots, especially unpeeled, are a good source of fiber, which is im-
portant to a healthy diet and can help control weight and lower cholesterol levels. Dried apricots are a concentrated source of fiber and one of the highly nutrient-dense dried fruits (Rieger 2004).
Apricots and its processed products are low in fat, specially saturated ones, and are rich source of some important nutri- ents. Chemical and nutritional composition of raw apricot and its processed products is shown in Table 23.6. Apricots are an excellent source of potassium, iron, and magnesium. It should be noted that varietal differences could also contribute to variations in the composition of raw and finished products.
Also, the values shown here are for the fruit that is grown
Table 23.6. Composition of Apricots and Their Processed Products (Per 100 g Edible Portion)
Unit Raw Canneda Frozenb Driedc Nectard
Proximate
Water g 86.35 82.56 73.3 30.89 84.87
Energy kcal 48 63 98 241 56
Protein g 1.4 0.53 0.7 3.39 0.37
Total lipid (fat) g 0.39 0.05 0.1 0.51 0.09
Ash g 0.75 0.37 0.8 2.57 0.29
Carbohydrate, by difference g 11.12 16.49 25.1 62.64 14.39
Fiber, total dietary g 2 1.6 2.2 7.3 0.6
Sugars, total g 9.24 14.89 53.44 13.79
Minerals
Calcium, Ca mg 13 11 10 55 7
Iron, Fe mg 0.39 0.39 0.9 2.66 0.38
Magnesium, Mg mg 10 8 9 32 5
Phosphorus, P mg 23 13 19 71 9
Potassium, K mg 259 138 229 1162 114
Sodium, Na mg 1 4 4 10 3
Zinc, Zn mg 0.2 0.11 0.1 0.39 0.09
Copper, Cu mg 0.078 0.079 0.064 0.343 0.073
Manganese, Mn mg 0.077 0.052 0.05 0.235 0.032
Selenium, Se g 0.1 0.1 0.4 2.2 11.9
Vitamins
Vitamin A, IU IU 1926 1322 1680 3604 1316
Vitamin C, total ascorbic acid mg 10 2.7 9 1 0.6
Thiamin mg 0.03 0.016 0.02 0.015 0.009
Riboflavin mg 0.04 0.02 0.04 0.074 0.014
Niacin mg 0.6 0.304 0.8 2.589 0.26
Pantothenic acid mg 0.24 0.092 0.2 0.516 0.096
Vitamin B-6 mg 0.054 0.054 0.06 0.143 0.022
Folate, total g 9 2 2 10 1
Carotene, beta g 1094 789 NRa 2163 786
Vitamin E (␣-tocopherol) mg 0.89 0.6 NR 4.33 0.31
Lutein+zeaxanthin g 89 26 NR 0 14
Source: USDA (2010).
aIn light syrup pack, with skin, solids and liquids.
bFrozen, sweetened.
cSulfured, uncooked.
dCanned.
eNot reported.
and processed in the United States; therefore, some differ- ences can be anticipated in composition of apricots and their processed products in other regions of the world owing to different climatic and soil conditions, agricultural practices, postharvest handling, and processing techniques.
Apricots, in comparison with other major fruits, contain significantly higher amounts of flavonoids, especially cate- chin and epicatechin at 4.40 and 20.20 mg/100 g fruit, re- spectively. A variety of dietary flavonoids have been found to inhibit tumor development (Shahidi and Naczk 1995). The role of phenolic compounds is discussed in more detail in Chapter 31 “Plums and Prunes.”
Apricot seeds were used to treat tumors as early as 502 AD, and apricot oil was used against tumors and ulcers in England in the 1600s (Rieger 2004). The American Heart As- sociation (AHA) continues to recommend an overall healthy dietary pattern that is rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy products, lean meats, poultry, and fish. Diets rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and fish have been associated, in many studies, with a lower risk of cardiovas- cular disease and stroke (AHA 2003). Apricots are rich in beta-carotenes. Because beta-carotene turns to vitamin A in the body, it is often referred to as vitamin A on food labels.
The beta-carotenes play a critical role in fighting disease and infections by maintaining strong immunity; protect the eyes;
help keep skin, hair, gums, and various glands healthy; and help build bones and teeth.
Jimenez et al. (2008) studied the effects of canning and freezing on the antioxidant properties as compared with raw apricot. The results showed that raw apricots exhibited the highest inhibition of oxidation (evaluated by the lipid per- oxidation assay); the freezing process had a slight loss of antioxidant activity, whereas canned apricots completely lost their antioxidant capacity. Furthermore, the capacity of raw apricot to scavenge superoxide radicals was higher than that of butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and butylated hydroxy- toluene (BHT). Canned apricots showed higher ABTS radical scavenging capacity than the raw fruit (Jimenez et al. 2008).
In addition to many other food uses, fresh or processed apricots could be an excellent source of healthy and nutritious breakfast. Kartashov et al. (2003) reported that people who eat breakfast are significantly less likely to be obese and diabetic than those who usually do not. Eating just half cup of preserved or three fresh apricots provides 35–45% of the daily recommended intake for vitamin A and one serving of fruit (APC 2010).
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