Comparison of some physico-chemical parameters of kiwiberry (Actinidia arguta) cultivars from a cold climate

The Actinidia genus includes a number of commercial fruit species with a wide range of countries of origin. Some species such as A. arguta or A. kolomikta are characterized by a high level of resistance to frost. The aim of this study was to compare the fruit of selected cultivars of kiwiberry. In the kiwiberry fruit, sucrose was the predominant type of sugar. Citric acid was dominant in all samples; it was most represented in the pulp of kiwiberry seedlings and in the skin of kiwiberry ‘Issai’. Kiwiberry fruits feature a higher ascorbic acid content in the skin in comparison with the commercial A. chinensis cultivars. Antioxidant activity of kiwiberry fruit skin was up to 18 times higher than that of the pulp. In view of the kiwiberry fruit having no hair, it is possible to eat the whole fruit, including the skin containing substances beneficial to health.