Characterization and Quantification of Polyphenols and Triterpenoids in Thinned Young Fruits of Ten Pear Varieties by UPLC-Q TRAP-MS/MS

Large quantities of thinned young pears, a natural source of bioactive compounds, are abandoned as agricultural by-products in many orchards. Hence, ten thinned young pear varieties were systematically investigated in terms of their chemical composition and antioxidant potential. Through ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray ionization triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q TRAP-MS/MS), 102 polyphenols and 16 triterpenoids were identified and individually quantified within a short time using multiple reaction monitoring (MRM). Subsequently, the antioxidant capacities of these pears were determined with DPPH assays, and the correlation between total antioxidant activity and each component was analyzed. The results indicated that the bioactive compound content and antioxidant capacity in thinned pears were considerably high. Regarding chemical composition, chlorogenic acid, quinic acid and arbutin were the primary polyphenols and ursolic acid was the predominant triterpenoid, whereas 27 polyphenolic compounds, especially chlorogenic acid and most of the flavan-3-ols, were the main antioxidants in young pears. These findings should provide a scientific basis for the further use of pear fruit by-products.