Comparison of physical and chemical composition of three chinese jujube (Ziziphus jujuba Mill.) cultivars cultivated in four districts of Xinjiang region in China

Abstract This study investigated the physical and chemical composition of three jujube fruits cultivated in China. The objective was to explore the effect of jujube genotype and cultivation districts on the quality of jujube fruits. Results showed significant differences on their physical and chemical composition. The Junzao cultivar contained relatively low level on the total dietary fiber, protein, total sugar, and total titratable acids. The Huizao cultivar possessed the mediate level of the sugar-to-acid ratio and ascorbic acid. The Dazao cultivar showed high level of the total dietary fiber, protein, sugar, and total acids. The cultivation districts exerted important roles in altering the physicochemical indexes of the same jujube cultivar. The Junzao cultivar harvested in the Hami and Kashi districts showed the significant difference on the level of the sugar-to-acid ratio and ascorbic acid compared with that in the Akesu and Hetian districts. The Huizao cultivar in the Kashi area possessed higher content of the total soluble dietary fiber than that in the Akesu and Hetain districts. Principal component analysis indicated that the parameters that differentiated these jujube cultivars appeared to be the total dietary fiber, protein, total sugar, fructose, glucose, sucrose, and total titratable acids.