, 2001). Studies have shown that application of lower nitrogen doses and a lower frequency of irrigation may increase vitamin C concentrations in vegetables and fruits. Another important factor is the use of agricultural defensives such as pesticides and agrochemicals that can indirectly affect the nutritional quality of fruits and vegetables ( Lee & Kader, 2000). DHA was only detected in organically grown acerola fruits, further increasing the concentration of total vitamin C, corresponding to 15.5% of total vitamin C content. However, Aldrigue (1998) detected DHA in conventionally grown acerola fruits, with its concentration accounting for 2–20% of

total vitamin C. Mean AA content SCH727965 purchase was significantly higher in conventionally grown strawberries compared to organic fruits (p < 0.05). One possible explanation for this finding is the type of fertilisation adopted for conventional farming, which consisted of 40 kg/ha nitrogen, 600 kg/ha phosphorus and 240 kg/ha potassium. In the review

of Lee and Kader (2000), the application of lower levels of nitrogenated fertilizers (45 kg/ha) and higher levels of potassium-containing fertilizers has been associated with a higher AA content PD173074 in fruits and vegetables. The concentration of DHA was similar for the two production systems, with DHA accounting for 34% of total vitamin C value in conventionally grown strawberries and for 44% in organic fruits. The mean concentration of lycopene and β-carotene in organically and conventionally grown fruits is shown in Table 2. Lycopene was only detected in persimmons, but there was no significant difference between the two production systems. There was also no difference in β-carotene content between organic and conventional persimmons. β-Carotene was the only carotenoid detected in acerola

fruits, with conventionally grown fruits presenting a significantly higher β-carotene content than organic fruits Sitaxentan (p < 0.05). Lima et al. (2005) observed a higher β-carotene content [4060 μg/100 g] in conventionally grown acerola harvested during the rainy season and treated with chemical fertilizers 3 months before harvest. According to Gross (1987), soil fertilisation is one of the factors that affects the biosynthesis of carotenoids in fruits. This fact probably contributed to the higher β-carotene content observed in conventionally grown acerola fruits in this study. Only β-carotene was detected in strawberries, with no significant difference between the organic and conventional production system. Mean total vitamin C content and mean vitamin A value derived from β-carotene of organic and conventional fruits are shown in Fig. 2. Significant differences in total vitamin C content between the two production systems were observed for all fruits (p < 0.