https://doi.org/10.17113/ftb.57.01.19.5910

    

An Integrated Characterization of Jujube (Ziziphus jujuba Mill.) Grown in the North Adriatic Region


Ana Miklavčič Višnjevec¹, Alenka Baruca Arbeiter¹, Matjaž Hladnik¹, Ajda Ota², Mihaela Skrt², Bojan 
Butinar³, Marijan Nečemer⁴, Marin Krapac⁵, Dean Ban⁵, Milena Bučar-Miklavčič³, Nataša Poklar Ulrih² 
and Dunja Bandelj<sup>1*


1</sup>Faculty of Mathematics, Natural Sciences and Information Technologies, University of Primorska, Glagoljaška 8, 6000 Koper, Slovenia
²Department of Food Science and Technology, Biotechnical Faculty, Jamnikarjeva ulica 101, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
³Science and Research Centre Koper, Garibaldijeva 1, 6000 Koper, Slovenia
⁴Department of Environmental Sciences, Jamova cesta 39, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
⁵Institute of Agriculture and Tourism, Ul. Karla Huguesa 8, 52440 Poreč, Croatia



Article history:
Received: 24 June 2018
Accepted: 17 December 2018




Key words:
Ziziphus jujuba Mill., phenolic compounds, antioxidative properties, nutritional properties, antimicrobial activity, genetic diversity

Summary:
Jujube (Ziziphus jujuba Mill.) has favourable horticultural properties including adaptation to arid conditions, abiotic and biotic stresses, as well as positive impact on human health. The present study describes the characterization of genetic diversity of the germplasm of jujube from the Istrian peninsula, the determination of important chemical compounds, antioxidative properties in relation to antibacterial and antifungal activities of jujube fruit extracts, and the determination of nutritional properties of jujube fruit. The results of the genetic analysis showed that most of the samples from the Istrian peninsula belong to two recently introduced varieties, 'Li' and 'Lang', and the most widespread local variety 'Navadna žižola'. The local variety has smaller fruit than the ‘Li’ and ‘Lang’ varieties, with thick and fleshy mesocarp. Chemical analysis indicated that fruits of the local variety contained a valuable source of dietary fibre ((9.7±0.6) g/100 g) and were rich in minerals such as (in g/100 g dry mass): potassium (829±51), calcium (177±11) and phosphorus (129±19). Aqueous extracts showed slight antibacterial activity, while ethanol extracts had higher mass fractions of phenolic compounds (expressed as gallic acid equivalents (GAE), 5.8-8.7 mg/g) than the aqueous extracts, but did not show antimicrobial activity. Compounds other than phenolic compounds in jujube fruit may be more biologically active. Based on the results of these analyses, the local Istrian jujube variety is a promising candidate for cultivation potential.

*Corresponding author:   +38656117570
                                            +38656117571
                                             This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.