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Chapter 16
Peach (Prunus Persica)—Morphology,
Taxonomy, Composition and Health
Benefits
Abstract Peaches, a fruit of family Rosaceae and genus prunus, are generally
preferred due to their exotic taste and vibrant colour. However, the fruit is low in
nutrients. Vitamin A and its precursors such as carotenoids, β-carotene (primarily),
α-carotene and β-cryptoxanthin are found in abundance in peaches but it is low in
proteins and fat. However, it contains substantial amount of fibre, vitamin C and
E. Peaches are reserved for various medicinally important compounds, primarily
antioxidants, polyphenolics and carotenoids and thus its consumption has positive
implications on health. Various therapeutic effects have also been reported with
peach intake such as cardiovascular effects, chemopreventive effects, maintaining
ophthalmic health and antidiabetic activity.
Order: Rosales
Family: Rosaceae
Genus: Prunus
Sub-genus: Amygdalus
Local name: Aadu
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
S. Z. Hussain et al., Fruits Grown in Highland Regions of the Himalayas,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-75502-7_16
207
208 16 Peach (Prunus Persica)—Morphology, Taxonomy …
1 Origin and Habitat
Peaches have been cultivated from early times mainly for its fruit. It is native to
China from where it spread to Northern and Southern hemispheres. Peaches are an
important fruit crop of temperate regions and grows well at foot hills at an elevation
of 600–700 m above sea level.
Peach requires slightly higher temperature than other temperate fruits for their
successful planting. The optimum temperature for thriving peach trees is 8–10 °C
and requires 45 cm of annual rainfall. Moreover, they need mild winters and long dry
summers for their proper growth and development. Peach trees can tolerate drought
conditions well and doesn’t have any specific soil requirement. However, sandy or
clay soil with good drainage gives the best results. A soil with pH 5–7 is suitable
while acidic soil which should be avoided is detrimental for growth (Leterme et al.,
2005).
2 Morphological Characteristics
Prunus persica are deciduous trees belonging to family Rosaceae and genus prunus.
The tree attains a height of 10 m when fully mature. The tree comprises of grey thin
trunk with broad crown and spreading canopy. 2–4 leaves are placed alternatively on
young branches and stems. Leaves are glossy, flat and 7–12 cm long with straight
veins and pointed tips. The plant bears the flowers in early spring. The flowers are
present singly or in pairs at the nodes of the branches and comprises of pink 5 petals
and 5 sepals. Peach trees are relatively short lived with an average age of 8–10 years
(Patiño, 2002).
The mature fruit is round or oval in shape with a diameter of 7–10 cm and weighs
around 10–130 g (Leterme et al., 2005). The fruit surface is yellow with a ting of
redness on the side exposed to sun. A longitudinal ridge runs down on the fussy from
stem to tip of the fruit. The flesh of the fruit is white, yellow or red and is sensitive to
bruising. The fruit being drupe develops from a single ovary and contains a single,
oval shaped seed at the centre which is 1–2 cm in diameter. The fruit is harvested
from June to September.
3 Production, Consumption and Taxonomy
China contributes 50% to the total world production of peaches designating it as the
largest producer of peaches in the world. The estimated production of peaches at the
end of 2018 is about 12 million metric tonnes. India too contributes significantly to the
total world peach production with an annual production of 106 thousand tonnes from
an area of 18 thousand hectares. In India, peaches are generally grown on the hills
3 Production, Consumption and Taxonomy 209
57.93
31.32
8.04
4.07 3.5 1.94 0.3 0.09
Peach ProducƟon of top most states (metric tonnes)
UƩarakhand Punjab Himachal Pradesh Jammu & Kashmir
Haryana Nagaland Tamil Nadu Sikkim
Fig. 1 Production scenario of Peaches in India during 2015–16 (Source National Horticulture
Board)
of Jammu and Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh. In J&K, maximum
peach production is recorded in Jammu Division while Kulgam district of Kashmir
division is the major contributor of peaches. The total area under peach cultivation
in J&K is 2615 hectares which produced 6221 MT of peaches in the year 2016–2017
(Fig. 1).
Two important species of peaches are Prunus persica (Peaches) and P. persica
var. nucipersica (Nectarines). Peaches are classified into two varieties—free stone
variety where the seed is free in the centre of the fruit and clinging seed variety where
the seed is firmly attached to the pulp. Free stone variety is preferred for table purpose
as the pit can be easily separated while cling stone variety is ideal for processing.
Free stone peaches are relatively larger and firmer than cling stone. The fruit is either
referred to as peach or nectarine depending on the surface characteristics. Peaches
are characterized by velvety surface while nectarines have smooth. The ascorbic acid
content of peaches is somewhat higher (11%) than nectarines. Some commercially
important cultivars are July Elberta, Red haven, Sun haven, Snow Queen and Silver
king.
Peaches are mainly consumed as fresh due to its exotic taste and rich mineral
profile. However, the fruit being highly perishable needs processing. The various
value-added products of peaches are juice, jam, jellies, nectar and marmalades. The
peach juice has a refreshing and thirst-quenching effect due to the presence of diverse
micro-nutrient composition. Besides these peaches are consumed as smoothies, puree
and mousse, as topping in yogurt, ice cream, pan cakes and waffles and as fillings in
pies, tarts, cobblers and strudels (Figs. 2and 3).
210 16 Peach (Prunus Persica)—Morphology, Taxonomy …
Fig. 2 Apricot tree
Fig. 3 Apricot
4 Nutritional Value and Chemical Composition
The fruit is relatively low source of calories as it comprises of 87% water. However, it
contains abundant amount of vitamin A precursors, namely carotenoids, β-carotene
4 Nutritional Value and Chemical Composition 211
Tabl e 1 Chemical
composition of Fresh Peach Nutrients Nutritive Value per 100 g
Wat e r 89 g
Protein 0.9 g
Total lipid 0.3 g
Fibre 1.5 g
Carbohydrate 9.9 g
Ash 0.8 g
Tot a l Sug ars 8.4 g
Energy 163 kJ
Calcium 1%
Iron 2%
Magnesium 9mg
Phosphorus 20 mg
Potassium 190 mg
Copper 0.1 mg
Zinc 0.2 mg
Vit am in C 6.6 mg
Vit am in E 0.7 mg
Vit am in A 362 IU
Choline 6.2 mg
Source Nutrition data
(primarily), α-carotene and β-cryptoxanthin. Major phenolic compounds in stone
fruit include catechin, epicatechin and chlorogenic acid. Carotenoids are regarded as
the most widespread pigments in nature and are responsible for colours ranging from
yellow to red. Predominant carotenoids in these fruits are β-carotene, α-carotene,
zeaxanthin and lutein (Wills et al., 1983) (Table 1).
•Carbohydrate
Unlike drupes, peaches are somewhat good source of carbohydrate. The total
carbohydrate content of fruit is 9.54 g/100 g of fruit weight. These carbohydrates are
present mostly as sugars in fruit and the average sugar content of peach is around
7 g/100 g. Sucrose is the predominant sugar of fruit followed by glucose and fructose.
Other than these, sorbitol, xylose, maltose, galactol are also provided by peaches
(Souty & Andre, 1975).
•Lipids
Peaches are low in triglycerides and practically free of cholesterol. The fat content
of peach is mostly in monounsaturated and polyunsaturated form. The major fatty
acids of peaches are oleic (3.5 mg/100 g) and linoleic (147 μg/100 g) (Yuyama et al.,
2003).
212 16 Peach (Prunus Persica)—Morphology, Taxonomy …
•Dietary Fibre
Peaches are considered as a good source of fibre. The fibre content of peaches
ranges from 1.4 to 2.4%. Peaches are known for its high pectin content which varies
from 1 to 1.5% depending on the cultivar. Other than pectin, hemicellulose, cellulose,
xylose and lignan constitute the fibre content (Salunkhe et al., 1968).
•Organic acid
Organic acid imparts characteristics flavour to peaches. Malic, citric, fumaric and
tartaric are among the several organic acids responsible for its flavour. Moreover,
phenolic acids such as chlorogenic, mucic and skimmic acid are also present in
abundance. However, the major organic acids of peach which are present in same
quantities are malic and citric acid (Heatherbell, 1974).
•Proteins
Peaches provide a meagre amount of protein (1.2%) and are devoid of some essen-
tial amino acids. The prominent amino acid of peach is alanine which is responsible
for characteristic taste of peach. In addition, the fruit contains lysine, serine, arginine,
phenylalanine, tyrosine and glycine. The protein from peaches provides 3% of the
overall total dietary protein requirement (Elkins, 1979) (Table 2).
•Phytochemicals
Tabl e 2 Amino acid
composition of Peach Amino acid mg/100 g protein
Lysine 30
Histidine 13
Arginine 18
Aspartic acid 418
Threonine 16
Serine 32
Glutamic acid 56
Proline 18
Glycine 21
Alanine 28
Cystine 12
Valine 22
Methionine 10
Isoleucine 17
Leucine 27
Tyr o sin e 14
Phenylalanine 19
Source Nutrition data
4 Nutritional Value and Chemical Composition 213
Polyphenolics are widely distributed in plant tissue and play a role in fruit colour
and taste. Peaches are a concentrated source of polyphenols with chlorogenic,
epicatechin, catechin being the predominant. Besides these, protocatechuic acid,
neochlorogenic acid, quercetin-3-glucoside, gallic acid, ellagic acid, anthocyanins,
rutin and flavonols are present too (Leksan, 1971).
Carotenoids, a class of antioxidants, is responsible for colour of the fruit. The
predominant carotenoids are β-carotene, α-carotene, zeaxanthin, β-cryptoxanthin
and lutein (Aczel, 1977).
•Vitamins and minerals
Peaches are an excellent source of vitamin A, C and E and also provide water-
soluble B complex vitamins. The vitamin A content of peaches (7%) is higher than
pears.
Like other fruits, peaches too contain potassium in enormous amounts. Peaches
are low in sodium but contains magnesium, phosphorous, zinc, copper, manganese,
iron and calcium in good amount (Feldman et al., 1979).
5 Health Benefits
Peaches are nutrient rich reserve of medicinally important compounds, primarily
antioxidants, polyphenolics, and carotenoids, as well as vitamin C, iron, fibre
and potassium. The main health benefits of peaches are conferred upon their rich
antioxidant compounds.
•Cardio vascular benefits
Vascular calcification, deposition of calcium on coronary arteries, is one of the
etilogy of cardiovascular deaths. Calcification leads to stiffening of artery which
eventually causes systolic blood pressure to rise thereby, increasing the activity of
heart. A deficiency of vitamin K (phylloquinones) leads to calcification. Vitamin
K is essential for activation of anticoagulant proteins (prothrombin) and promotes
carboxylation of matrix glycine protein (MCP). MCP, an extracellular matrix protein,
is synthesized in smooth cells and binds calcium ion to vascular walls, inhibiting the
build-up of calcium in arteries. Vitamin K deficiency leads to impaired synthesis
of carboxylated MGP (a biologically inactive protein matrix) which is unable to
carry out its function efficiently (Presnell and Stafford, 2002). Consuming peaches
provide vitamin K which prevents calcification and ultimately reduces the chances
of cardiovascular deaths.
In addition, iron from peaches too contributes to cardiovascular benefits. Now-a-
days, iron deficiency and anaemia is considered as an important risk factor associated
with CVD prevalence. In a study, patients with heart failure showed improvements
upon intravenous administration of iron. However, iron overdoses should be avoided
as iron promotes ROS production which leads to oxidative stress and other patholog-
ical conditions such as atherosclerosis (Bresgen & Eckl, 2015). Potassium content of
214 16 Peach (Prunus Persica)—Morphology, Taxonomy …
peaches too exerts a beneficial effect against cardiovascular diseases by maintaining
the fluid balance of the body and controlling the heart rate (Eilat-Adar et al., 2013).
•Anti-cancerous activity
Inspite of huge medical advances in treating chronic diseases such as cancer, it
still prevails in population and is on rise. Thence some new therapeutic treatments
with potential chemopreventive effect needs to be developed. A study conducted at
Texas A & M University has reported anticancer effects of peach extracts against
breast cancer cell lines. Chlorogenic and neochlorogenic acid show potential anti-
carcinogenicity by inducing extrinsic and intrinsic apoptosis in cancer cell. Extrinsic
apoptosis includes activation of caspase 8 (a cysteine protease), followed by 6 and 7
PAR γcleavage (van Raam & Salvesen, 2012).
Activated capsule promotes the apoptosis in cancer cells either by cleaving and
downgrading caspases or by cleaving the interacting proteins. Intrinsic apoptosis
is characterized by cytochrome, an apoptotic heme protein, from mitochondria.
Cytochrome has a role in apoptosis by facilitating the release of caspase enzyme
(Parrish et al., 2013).
Pectin, a covalently linked galacturonic acid polymer, has demonstrated a potential
antitumour effect. Animal model studies have shown that pH modified pectin reduced
the number of metastasis in lung cancer cells in a dose dependent manner. The pH
modified pectin weakens the cell-cell interaction by trapping the glucosidase binding
protein (galectin 3). Galectin 3 is involved in cancer cell growth and metastasis by
promoting cell-cell clumping due to its sticky consistency (Zhao et al., 2009). A study
conducted at Karnas Cancer Institute has claimed that galectin 3 has a prominent role
in cancer cell longevity.
•Ophthalmic health
Vitamin A, an alcoholic antioxidant, is important for vision and improving the
immune system of body. Vitamin A occurs in animals as retinol while is present as
carotenoid in plant-based colourful fruits. Vitamin A is important for normal func-
tioning of eye, vision and its deficiency results in xerophthalmia, blindness. Xeroph-
thalmia refers to abnormal dying of cornea and is the leading cause of child mortality
in developing countries. Moreover, vitamin A efficiently treats eye inflammation
(superior limbic kerato conjunctivitis). A study carried out by Haward Medical
School concluded that vitamin A along with lutein decreased the rate of progres-
sion of retinitis pigmentosa, a medical condition caused by degeneration of retina.
Consuming peaches rich in lutein and zeaxanthin reduces the risk and progression
of age-related macular degeneration (Fraser & Bramley, 2004).
•Detoxifies body
Liver regulates various processes in human body like metabolism, secretion,
storage and detoxification implying its importance. Liver facilitates excretion of
xenobiotics from the body. Xenobiotic foods lead to oxidative stress in tissues. Thus,
maintaining the health and normal functioning of liver is important. Consumption
5 Health Benefits 215
of peaches detoxifies the body by flushing out the toxins. It is actually the hepato-
protective elements (potassium, pectins) of peaches which facilitates detoxification
(Ganesan et al., 2017). Besides detoxifying the body, these compounds are also
beneficial in treating migraine, tuberculosis and diabetes.
•Dental Health
Intake of peaches is beneficial for bones as well as teeth as they provide calcium
and fluoride in good amount. These elements are necessary for bone formation and
dental health. Also, minerals like iron and fluoride prevent cavities and reverse dental
damage (Morozova et al., 2016).
•Weight loss
Since peaches are almost 90% water, so they provide limited calories in terms of
carbohydrates and fats. Intake of peaches have been linked to low body weight and
lower BMI. Moreover, they contain natural sugars which do not raise the blood sugar
or insulin levels (Wills et al., 1983).
•Anti-diabetes activity
Diabetes, often regarded as lifestyle disease, is growing menace in today’s world
and there is a dire need to curb this. Diet and nutrition go hand in hand and can
even treat diseases. Peach do a little bit towards curing diabetes. Consuming peaches
is effective in maintaining the post meal blood sugar level spike. The polyphenolic
constituents like elagic acid present in peaches are responsible for potential hypo-
glycemic action of the fruit. Ellagic acid act upon βcells of pancreas thereby stim-
ulating insulin secreting and reducing glucose intolerance. Type 2 diabetes mellitus
results due to malfunctioning of pancreatic βcells resulting in insulin resistance.
•Antioxidant activity
Among all stone fruits, peaches exhibit highest antioxidant activity. The antiox-
idant activity of peaches results due to polyphenols particularly chlorogenic and
neochlorogenic acids. Chologenic acid, esters formed by the reaction between caffeic
and quinic acid has multiple hydroxyl group that are capable of instigating any free
radical. In addition, other phenols (gallic acid, chlorogenic acid (+)-catechin, caffeic
acid (−)-epicatechin, and rutin) protect organs from oxidative stress by stimulating
the activity of free radical scavenger enzymes (glutathione peroxidase) and inhibits
the production of mitochondrial ROS (Brewer, 2011).
The polysaccharides (xylans, xylo oligosaccharides) of peaches too adds to their
antioxidant activity. Polysaccharides are the polymers with more than 10 or more
monomeric units. Some polymers seldom exist singly but form conjugates with amino
acids, protein, lipids and nucleic acids. It is these protein polysaccharides complex
which exhibit radical scavenging effect. Polysaccharides are also chelates ions which
catalyses the formation of free radicals (Nimse & Pal, 2015).
216 16 Peach (Prunus Persica)—Morphology, Taxonomy …
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