Assessment of the differences in the physical, chemical and phytochemical properties of four strawberry cultivars using principal component analysis.

The worldwide established strawberry cultivar 'Albion' and three recently introduced cultivars in Europe: 'Monterey', 'Capri', and 'Murano', grown hydroponically, were studied to ascertain the influence of cultivar and harvesting date on the physical, chemical, antioxidant and phytochemical properties of their fruits. Interrelationships of investigated parameters and these cultivars were investigated by the statistical approach of principal component analysis (PCA). Results indicated that cultivar had a more significant effect on the analyzed parameters than harvesting date. Thus grouping of the variables in a PCA plot indicated that each cultivar has specific characteristics important for consumer or industrial use. Cultivar 'Monterey' was the richest in phytochemical contents and consequently in antioxidant activity, 'Albion' showed the highest contents of total soluble solids, titratable acidity content and ascorbic acid, 'Capri' had the highest value of firmness, while 'Murano' had lighter color in comparison to others. Potential use of these cultivars has been assessed according to these important measured attributes.