Determination of Pomological and Chemical Properties of Some Rosehip (Rosa spp.) Genotypes Growing Naturally in Kayseri Province

Abstract

Rosehip (Rosa spp.), commonly referred as wild rose, is found in various ecological regions across Türkiye and has gained increasing important wild fruit in recent years. Its significance is primarily attributed to its rich content of organic acids, polyphenolic compounds, and vitamins. This study was carried out to determine some pomological and chemical properties of fruit juices obtained from 20 rosehip fruits of each genotype with 3 replicates collected from Melikgazi, Sarız, Tomarza and Hacılar districts of Kayseri province between 2022-2023. The evaluated pomological characteristics of the selected rosehip genotypes included fruit width, fruit length, fruit weight, seed weight, fruit fresh ratio and the chemical characteristics consisted of pH, total soluble solids (Brix %), titratable acidity (TA), vitamin C and total dry matter ratio. Among the findings, the highest fruit weight recorded was 3.68 grams, the longest fruit measured 26.63 mm in length, the widest fruit measured 15.87 mm in width, seed weight was 0.070 grams and fruit fresh ratio was 98%. In terms of chemical properties, the pH was 3.35, total soluble solids was 23%, vitamin C content was 1145.42 mg 100g^-1, total phenolic content was 1028 mg 100g^-1, total flavonoid content was 989 mg 100g^-1, total dry matter ratio 51% and titratable acid as 1.12. The findings revealed that genotype Melikgazi (M) had the most favorable characteristics in terms of both pomological and chemical traits, including the highest fruit weight, vitamin C, total phenolic and flavonoid contents. These results suggest that certain naturally growing rosehip genotypes in Kayseri, especially genotype Melikgazi (M), have significant potential as valuable genetic resources for breeding, industrial use, and functional food development.