[Preliminary investigations on carbohydrates changes during fruit and leaf growth of three peach cultivar (author's...

Changes in sugars and polyols content of fruits and leaves of three cultivar of peach, from fruit set to over maturity, have been studied. Sucrose, glucose, fructose and sorbitol were found both in leaves and in fruits. In fruits, inositol and galactose were also found but only in traces. Redhaven fruits show the greatest total sugars content (sorbitol included) (866 mg/g.d.m.)followed in order by Favorita and Prodigiosa ones (771 and 694 mg/g.d.m.) For Redhaven and Favorita fruits, at harvest matuity, the sugar present in greatest amount was sucrose followed in order by glucose, fructose and sorbitol. On the contrary, in Prodigiosa fruits the order was sucrose, sorbitol, fructose and glucose. In the leaves of three cultivar, the compound present in the greatest amount was sorbitol followed by sucrose, glucose and fructose. The sucrose decrease in leaves during fruit growth could confirm that the disaccharide is the main sugar transported from the leaves to the fruits.