The fig tree (Ficus carica L.) belongs to the Moraceae family.
dried figs, which aid digestion and are the "heart" of figs, which are a gift to us.
dried figs near me
It is an ancient fruit tree associated with the beginnings of horticulture in the Mediterranean (Aradhya, 2010) The most important varieties include Dottato, Citrullara and San Francesco (Loizzo, 2014).
physical and sensory characteristics Fig development consists of three phases (Lama, 2020), Phase 1: Rapid growth in fruit size, Phase 2: The fruit stays about the same siz, appearance of color and hardness; Stage 3: Fruit ripening and growth, color change, softening, pulp texture change to an edible state.
A study of fig varieties in north-eastern Turkey found that fruit colors varied from light green, light purple, violet, dark purple to black (Ercisli, 2012).
Anthocyanins, carotenoids and chlorophyll are the pigments that define skin color.
The formation of anthocyanins and the breakdown of chlorophyll in the skin occur mainly during the second growth phase of the fig, i.e. ripening and sugar accumulation (Wang, 2019).
The anthocyanins mainly found in fig marrow are said to be cyanidin-3-rutinoside, cyanidin-3-glucoside and pelargonidin derivatives.
Cyanidin-3,5-O-diglucoside and cyanidin-O-malonyl-hexoside have also been detected in the skin (Wang, 2019).
Citric and malic acids are organic acids that give figs their tart flavor.
dried figs benefits
They account for over 80% of the total organic acids from development to maturity in this fruit (Lama, 2020).
The degree of ripeness of figs (different cultivars) appears to have a significant impact on their chemical composition and sensory profile.
Unripe figs have thicker skins and higher "green" or "latex-like" flavor notes.
They are also harder, grainier and more bitter.
Conversely, ripe figs are perceived as fruitier, juicier, and sweeter (King, 2012).
β-ionone, 6-methyl-5-hepten-2-ol and α-ionone are volatile compounds from the apocarotenoid family thought to be responsible for fig flavor (Nawade, 2020).
Ingredient profile (excluding macronutrients, vitamins and minerals) Phenolic acids (especially gallic and chlorogenic acids) and flavonoids (especially rutin, quercetin-3-O-rutinoside and epicatechin) are the main classes of phytochemicals found in fresh figs.
Their content is strongly influenced by various factors such as fruit colour, part and ripeness (Arvaniti, 2019).
Ficus species, which contain significant amounts of bioactive metabolites such as flavonoids, phenolic acids, tannins, alkaloids, glycosides, coumarins, triterpenoids and sterols, have antidiabetic properties.
In fact, its bioactive compounds stimulate insulin secretion and subsequently lower blood sugar levels (Deepa, 2018).
The antioxidant capacity of figs is strongly correlated with the amount of phenolic compounds.
This provides health-promoting properties such as antifungal, anthelmintic, and anticarcinogenic properties (Arvaniti, 2019).
Figs are also said to have significant antiproliferative effects on colon cancer cells and induce their apoptosis (Soltana, 2019).
