Chemical Composition Assessment of Structural Parts (Seeds, Peel, Pulp) of Physalis alkekengi L. Fruits

In recent years there has been an extensive search for nature-based products with functional potential. All structural parts of Physalis alkekengi (bladder cherry), including fruits, pulp, and less-explored parts, such as seeds and peel, can be considered sources of functional macro- and micronutrients, bioactive compounds, such as vitamins, minerals, polyphenols, and polyunsaturated fatty acids, and dietetic fiber. The chemical composition of all fruit structural parts (seeds, peel, and pulp) of two phenotypes of P. alkekengi were studied. The seeds were found to be a rich source of oil, yielding 14–17%, with abundant amounts of unsaturated fatty acids (over 88%) and tocopherols, or vitamin E (up to 5378 mg/kg dw; dry weight). The predominant fatty acid in the seed oils was linoleic acid, followed by oleic acid. The seeds contained most of the fruit’s protein (16–19% dw) and fiber (6–8% dw). The peel oil differed significantly from the seed oil in fatty acid and tocopherol composition. Seed cakes, the waste after oil extraction, contained arginine and aspartic acid as the main amino acids; valine, phenylalanine, threonine, and isoleucine were present in slightly higher amounts than the other essential amino acids. They were also rich in key minerals, such as K, Mg, Fe, and Zn. From the peel and pulp fractions were extracted fruit concretes, aromatic products with specific fragrance profiles, of which volatile compositions (GC-MS) were identified. The major volatiles in peel and pulp concretes were β-linalool, α-pinene, and γ-terpinene. The results from the investigation substantiated the potential of all the studied fruit structures as new sources of bioactive compounds that could be used as prospective sources in human and animal nutrition, while the aroma-active compounds in the concretes supported the plant’s potential in perfumery and cosmetics.


Introduction
Physalis alkekengi L. (family Solanaceae), also known as the Chinese lantern, Japanese lantern, bladder cherry, winter cherry, and by many other common names, is a species indigenous to Asia and Southern Europe, further naturalized worldwide [1,2]. Nowadays,

Basic Evaluation of Fresh Berries and Their Structural Parts
The proportion (%) of the structural fruit parts (peel, pulp, and seeds) in fresh berries was obtained by gravimetrical determination of each element's fresh weight (fw) (Mettler-Toledo, Switzerland; precision ± 0.0001 g) for 100 randomly selected fruits. Seed absolute weight (g) was obtained as mean by weighing of 1000 seeds on a precision balance (Mettler-Toledo, Switzerland; precision ± 0.0001 g).
The moisture content of each fruit sample in the study (seeds, peel, and pulp) was determined by drying in a laboratory drying oven (Robotika, Velingrad, Bulgaria) at 103 ± 2 °C to the constant weight [25]. The results from the chemical analyses in the study were further re-calculated and presented on a dry weight (dw) basis.
In the first step of chemical analysis, the samples were analyzed in two structural forms, as seed samples and peel/pulp samples.
Cellulose content (crude fiber) in the seed and peel/pulp samples was determined by a slight modification of a method described earlier [26]. The hydrolysis of the plant material (1.0 g) was carried out with 16.5 mL 80% CH3COOH and 1.5 mL concentrated HNO3 for 1.5 h at 100 °C. The filtrated residue was dried at 103 ± 2 °C for 24 h, cooled in a dessicator, and weighed for the quantitative determination of cellulose. The results are presented on a dry weight basis.
Protein content in the seed and peel/pulp fractions was analyzed by the Kjeldahl method [25] using an UDK 152 unit (Velp Scientifica Srl, Usmate Velate, Italy). The

Basic Evaluation of Fresh Berries and Their Structural Parts
The proportion (%) of the structural fruit parts (peel, pulp, and seeds) in fresh berries was obtained by gravimetrical determination of each element's fresh weight (fw) (Mettler-Toledo, Switzerland; precision ± 0.0001 g) for 100 randomly selected fruits. Seed absolute weight (g) was obtained as mean by weighing of 1000 seeds on a precision balance (Mettler-Toledo, Switzerland; precision ± 0.0001 g).
The moisture content of each fruit sample in the study (seeds, peel, and pulp) was determined by drying in a laboratory drying oven (Robotika, Velingrad, Bulgaria) at 103 ± 2 • C to the constant weight [25]. The results from the chemical analyses in the study were further re-calculated and presented on a dry weight (dw) basis.
In the first step of chemical analysis, the samples were analyzed in two structural forms, as seed samples and peel/pulp samples.
Cellulose content (crude fiber) in the seed and peel/pulp samples was determined by a slight modification of a method described earlier [26]. The hydrolysis of the plant material (1.0 g) was carried out with 16.5 mL 80% CH 3 COOH and 1.5 mL concentrated HNO 3 for 1.5 h at 100 • C. The filtrated residue was dried at 103 ± 2 • C for 24 h, cooled in a dessicator, and weighed for the quantitative determination of cellulose. The results are presented on a dry weight basis.
Protein content in the seed and peel/pulp fractions was analyzed by the Kjeldahl method [25] using an UDK 152 unit (Velp Scientifica Srl, Usmate Velate, Italy). The conversion to protein content of the determined nitrogen content, present as ammonia in the digested sample, was by the multiplication factor of 6.25.
Oil content in the seed and in the peel/pulp parts was determined after extraction with n-hexane (Soxhlet, for 8 h), followed by evaporation of the solvent on a rotary vacuum evaporator (at 40 • C) and under a stream of nitrogen [27].

Determination of Fatty Acids in Seed and Peel Oils
In the second step of the analysis, the oils from the fruit seeds and peel were isolated separately and then analyzed for the composition and content of the fatty acids and tocopherols. The oil fractions from seeds and peel were obtained by extraction with n-hexane, as described above [27].
Fatty acids in the extracted seed and peel oils were determined after transmethylation with 2% H 2 SO 4 in CH 3 OH at 50 • C [28,29]. The GC analysis was performed on a Hewlett Packard 5890A unit, with a flame ionization detector (FID) (Santa Clara, CA, USA) and a capillary Supelco 2560 column, 75 m × 0.25 mm × 18 µm (i.d.). The column temperature increase was from 130 • C (4 min) to 240 • C (5 min) at 15 • C/min; injector/detector temperatures were 250 • C; the flow rate of the carrier gas (hydrogen) was 0.8 mL/min; the split was 50:1. Fatty acid identification was completed by referring to the retention times of fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) in a standard mixture of 37 components (Supelco, Bellefonte, PA, USA).

Determination of Amino Acids in Seed Cakes
In the third step, the seed cakes remaining after seed oil extraction were analyzed for the composition and content of amino acids and mineral elements.
Amino acids were detemined after hydrolysis of the seed cake material and completed with 6 N HCl at 105 • C for 24 h in sealed glass ampules. Ampule content was then evaporated at 40-50 • C under vacuum, and the residue was dissolved in 20 mM HCl and filtered. The free amino acids resulting from protein hydrolysis were derivatized using the AccQ-Fluor kit, WATO52880 (Waters Corporation, Milford, MA, USA). The HPLC separation of the resulting AccQ-Fluor amino acid derivatives was performed on an Elite LaChrome (Hitachi, Tokyo, Japan) unit, with a reverse phase C18 AccQ-Tag (3.9 mm × 150 mm) column (at 37 • C). WATO52890 buffer (Waters Corporation, Milford, MA, USA) and 60% acetonitrile were the eluting phases; the injected sample volume was 20 µL, heated to 55 • C. The unit was equipped with a diode array detector (DAD) (Hitachi, Tokyo, Japan), and the detection was performed at the wavelength 254 nm.

Determination of Mineral Elements in Seed Cakes
Mineral elements in the seed cakes were determined after mineralization at 450 • C; the resultant ash was first dissolved in concentrated HCl and then in 0.1 mol/L HNO 3 [31]. The atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS) was performed on a Perkin Elmer/HGA 500 instrument (Norwalk, CT, USA). The detection wavelengths were: Na, 589.6 nm; K, 766.5 nm; Mg, 285.2 nm; Ca, 317.0 nm; Zn, 213.9 nm; Cu, 324.7 nm; Fe, 238.3 nm; Mn, 257.6 nm; Pb, 283.3 nm; Cd, 228.8 nm; Cr, 357.9 nm. The elemental identification was completed by comparison with standard metal salt solutions, and the estimation of metal ion concentration by using calibration curves (built for 1 µg/mL standard salt solutions).

Determination of Volatiles in Fruit Concretes
Finally, the fruit concretes were analyzed. These were obtained from P. alkekengi peel and pulp as concentrated aromatic products, which are commonly used in perfumery and cosmetics.
In the obtainment of fruit concretes, the samples were subjected to a double extraction with n-hexane, at a temperature of 40 • C and a solid-to-solvent ratio of 1:10 (w/v). The duration of the first and second extraction was 60 min and 30 min, respectively. The extracts were then combined and concentrated on a rotary vacuum evaporator until complete solvent removal at a temperature 40 • C. The yield of peel and pulp concretes was determined gravimetrically (%, w/w) and calculated on a dry weight basis. The initial moisture content of the extracted plant materials was as follows: peel-53.85 ± 0.45% (PA-SB) and 49.73 ± 0.41% (PA-NB); pulp-79.43 ± 0.62% (PA-SB) and 82.99 ± 0.71% (PA-NB). The color and appearance of the concretes were determined by visual assessment.
The GC analysis for the determination of the volatile composition of the obtained fruit concretes was performed on an Agilent 7890A instrument (Agilent Technologies Inc., Santa Clara, CA, USA), with the following parameters: HP-5ms column, 30 m × 250 mm × 0.25 µm (i.d.); oven temperature increased at a rate of 5 • C/min from 35 • C (3 min) to 250 • C (3 min), total run time 49 min; carrier gas (helium) at 1 mL/min constant rate; 30:1 split mode. The GC-MS analysis employed an Agilent 5975C inert XL EI/CI mass selective detector (MSD) (Agilent Technologies Inc., Santa Clara, CA, USA), under the same operational conditions as in the GC analysis. Mass spectra acquisition was at 70 eV in electron impact (EI) mode; MS scan was from 50 to 550 m/z. The ionization source temperature was 230 • C, and the MS quad and the injector temperatures were 150 • C and 250 • C, respectively. Mass spectra were read using the built-in toolkit of 2.64 AMDIS (Automated Mass Spectral Deconvolution and Identification System; NIST, Gaithersburg, MD, USA) software. The identification of volatiles was based on comparison of their retention (Kovats) indices (RI) and MS fragmentation patterns with spectral library data [32,33]. Components were listed in ascending order of the RI, calculated using a standard calibration mixture of n-alkanes (C 8 -C 40 ) in hexane, under the same operational conditions. Compound concentrations were calculated as percentage of the total ion current (TIC), after normalization of the recorded peak areas.

Statistics
All measurements in the study were performed in triplicate (n = 3), except for the fruit parts proportion (n = 100). The results are presented as the mean value with the corresponding standard deviation (SD). ANOVA and Tukey multiple comparison test were used as statistical tools in the assessment of significant differences at p < 0.05.

Basic Evaluation of Fruit Structural Parts
The proportions of fruit structural parts (peel, seeds, and pulp, respectively) in the analyzed fresh fruits of two P. alkekengi phenotypes (denoted as PA-SB and PA-NB) are presented in Table 1. Fruit pulp accounted for about 70% of fresh fruit weight, while seeds constituted about a quarter of the fruit weight, with no significant deviations between the phenotypes. Seed dimensions varied, however, with seed absolute weight being 1.68 ± 0.01 g (mean of 1000 seeds results) for PA-SB phenotype, and 1.52 ± 0.01 g (per 1000 seeds) for PA-NB. The average number of seeds in a single berry was 195 ± 1.80 for PA-SB, and 107 ± 0.90 for PA-NB phenotype. The basic macro component characteristics (cellulose, protein, oil) of the studied fruit fractions (the isolated seeds and the combined peel/pulp fraction) are presented in Table 2. The data indicate some differences between the phenotypes, with slightly higher oil amounts in PA-NB, and higher cellulose and protein amounts in the PA-SB phenotype. As seen from the data, the seeds were the primary site of oil accumulation in the fruit, although the combined peel/pulp samples also had detectable amounts of the oil fraction. The seeds of P. alkekengi were a sufficiently rich source of oil, yielding 14-17% oil, thus approximating the data for a related Physalis species, P. peruviana pomace oil (19.3%) detected by Ramadan [34], as well as those for soybean oil (18%) [35], grapeseed oil (8-20%) [36], or P. alkekengi seed oil [37]. Similarly, the seeds contained most of the fruit's protein and fiber. The cellulose content was several times higher in the seeds (6-8% dw) than in the peel/pulp residues (1.5-2% dw). The reported data were close to the cellulose contents detected in the whole fruits of different cape gooseberry (P. peruviana) phenotypes measured by Petkova et al. [38], as well as in different fruit and vegetable pomaces, such as apples and tomatoes [39].

Determination of Fatty Acids in Seed and Peel Oils
The significant oil yield from the seeds of P. alkekengi fruit was the reason for subjecting the extracted seed oil to a more detailed analysis in order to reveal its micro component characteristics.
As seen in Table 2, the combined peel/pulp fraction was also associated with the presence of oil fraction, although in a minor amount. The individual analysis of the two fruit parts constituting the combined sample revealed that oil content in the pulp was minimal (below 1% dw) in both phenotypes, while the peel contained 2.54 ± 0.02% and 2.05 ± 0.02% oil (dw) in the PA-NB and PA-SB phenotypes, respectively. Therefore, it was considered interesting to identify the composition of the peel fraction oil, as well, in view of a more complete insight into the composition of P. alkekengi fruits.
The results regarding the fatty acid composition of the seed and peel oils of the two phenotypes are presented in Table 3, and an example of the obtained FAME chromatograms is shown in Figure 2. The data proved significant variations in the number and distribution of the identified fatty acids in the seed and peel oils, while the differences between the phenotypes were less pronounced.
The fatty acid composition of P. alkekengi seed oil was dominated by unsaturated fatty acids in a ratio of about 7:1 to saturated ones; this was the same for both phenotypes. The ratio between polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fatty acids was also favorable and comparable for the phenotypes, being about 5:1. The proportions of unsaturated and saturated fatty acids, however, were reversed and much more unfavorable in the peel oils, being 32:68 in PA-SB and 44:56 in PA-NB, respectively.
The predominant fatty acid in the seed oils was linoleic acid (73.67% in PA-SB and 74.43% in PA-NB), followed by oleic and palmitic acids, while the major fatty acids in peel oils were palmitic (57.88% in PA-SB and 36.21% in PA-NB) and oleic (24.02% in PA-SB and 30.08% in PA-NB) acids. Unlike the similar distribution of fatty acids in the seed oils, there were differences between the two phenotypes in the individual fatty acid composition of the oil derived from fruit peel alone, especially with regard to palmitic, palmitoleic, stearic, and some other acids. Although the results revealed a more favorable composition in the isolated seed oils, they supported the feasibility of oil extraction from P. alkekengi fruit, using both whole fruit and seeds alone. Regarding the individual fatty acid composition of the seed oils, our results differed only numerically from the data in the previous study [37], which identified linoleic (86.9%) and palmitic (6.6%) acids as the major fatty acids in the seed oil, at a ratio of unsaturated to saturated fatty acids of about 14:1. Our results were fully compliant with the data available for P. peruviana oils [34], which pointed out that pulp/peel oil was characterized by high amounts of saturated fatty acids, while ω-3 acids (α-linolenic) were found in lower levels.

Determination of Tocopherols in Seed and Peel Oils
The tocopherol composition of the extracted oils is presented in Table 4. As seen in the table, there was impressive differentiation in the content of the bioactive tocopherols on the bases of fruit structural parts and phenotype. Seed oils, despite the phenotype-related differences observed, contained considerably more tocopherols than peel oils. The data showed about a 2.5 times higher concentration of the biologically active tocopherols in the oil isolated from the seeds of PA-SB berries than for the PA-NB phenotype.

Determination of Tocopherols in Seed and Peel Oils
The tocopherol composition of the extracted oils is presented in Table 4. As seen in the table, there was impressive differentiation in the content of the bioactive tocopherols on the bases of fruit structural parts and phenotype. Seed oils, despite the phenotyperelated differences observed, contained considerably more tocopherols than peel oils. The data showed about a 2.5 times higher concentration of the biologically active tocopherols in the oil isolated from the seeds of PA-SB berries than for the PA-NB phenotype.
In the study of Ramadan [34], β-and γ-tocopherols were also the major tocopherols in the seed oil of P. peruviana, while γ-and α-tocopherols were the main components in the pulp/peel oil. No further parallel to other data could be made concerning the peel oil composition or the tocopherols, as to the best of our knowledge, there have been no other previous investigations in that direction.

Determination of Amino Acids in Seed Cakes
Accounting for the significant ratio of seeds in fresh fruit weight (Table 1) and their macronutrient indices (Table 2), the seed cakes resulting from oil extraction, otherwise considered a waste product, were considered a potentially valuable plant material worthy of recovery. Therefore, an attempt to provide new data in favor of their potential use and nutritional value was made in this study, by identifying some individual micro components in the seed cakes-amino acids and minerals. The results of the amino acid profile of seed cake proteins are presented in Table 5. Results: mean value ± standard deviation (n = 3). Different letters in the same row indicate significant differences (p < 0.05). 1 essential amino acid.
As seen from the data, the dominant amino acids in the seed cakes of both the P. alkekengi phenotypes were arginine, aspartic acid, glycine, and alanine, with numerical deviations between the samples. Respectively, there were differences in the distributions of the rest of the amino acids, explicable by the varying conditions of the plant vegetation (phenotype). The ratio of essential amino acids (EAA) was relatively low and comparable in the two phenotypes, being about 0.4:1. Valine, phenylalanine, threonine, and isoleucine were present in slightly higher amounts than the other EAAs.

Determination of Mineral Elements in Seed Cakes
The results from the determination of 11 key macro and micro mineral elements in the seed cakes (Table 6) confirmed significant differences between the phenotypes only with regard to two of the macro minerals, sodium and calcium; the content of sodium was substantially higher in the PA-SB phenotype, and that of calcium was higher in the seed cakes of PA-NB fruit. The macrominerals potassium and magnesium were found in identical amounts in both phenotypes. The identified microminerals (Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn, Pb) showed comparable distributions between the phenotypes, with the single exception of Cr in PA-NB. Evaluating the potential of the seed cakes for nutritional purposes, they could be considered a good source of potassium (supplying about 15% of the reference dietary intake (RDI) for men and about 12% for women; the RDIs being 2700 and 3500 mg, respectively), magnesium (about 60% of RDI for men and about 70% of RDI for women; 350 and 300 mg), as well as of iron (about 60% of RDI for men and about 30% of RDI for women; 8 and 18 mg), zinc (about 20% of RDI for men and about 30% of RDI for women; 11 and 8 mg), and other key microelements (copper and manganese) [40].

Determination of Volatile Components in Fruit Concretes
Another important aspect of the study was the objective of investigating the potential of P. alkekengi fruit for obtaining fruit concrete, a type of established aromatic product, widely used in perfumery and cosmetics [41]. Concretes are obtained by extracting fresh or dry plant materials with a non-polar solvent (e.g., hexane, petroleum ether, or benzene), followed by the complete removal of the solvent; the resulting concentrated aromatic product carries a specific fragrance profile, adding to the diversification of the fragrance nuances provided by the other types of aromatic products from the respective plant material, such as essential oils, absolute, resinoids, tinctures, and other extracts [41].
Accounting for the fact that the fruit pulp and peel are generally the vegetal material strongly related to fruit flavor, those parts of the P. alkekengi fruit were processed individually by n-hexane double extraction to obtain the respective fruit concretes. All concretes obtained in the study represented thick waxy masses with dark orange-yellow color.
The results revealed significant differences in the yield of fruit concretes, both between the phenotypes and between the fruit structural parts compared in the study. As seen from the data in Table 7, the yield of peel concrete was significantly higher than that of pulp concrete, thus clearly differentiating the potential of the two fruit structures with regard to their processing efficiency. In turn, there were significant differences in peel concrete yield on a phenotype basis; it was about three time higher in PA-NB phenotype, which was obviously related to the impact of environmental characteristics on plant metabolism.
The results from the identification by GC-MS analysis of individual aromatic volatiles in the obtained concretes and the total ion current (TIC) chromatograms with the major compounds (over 3%) are presented in Table 8 and Figure 3, respectively. Table 7. Primary characteristics of fruit concretes obtained from two phenotypes of P. alkekengi (PA-SB and PA-NB).
In turn, a total of 23 individual components were identified in the peel concrete from the PA-SB phenotype (98.72% of the content), with the major constituents being: β-linalool (49.6%), neryl acetate (11.4%), camphor (7.5%), germacrene D (6.9%), α-pinene (4.6%), and tau-cadinol (3.7%).  The classification of the identified fruit concrete constituents revealed the pre of compounds belonging to different chemical classes (Figure 4). The distribution identified compounds (equaled to 100%) did not suggest considerable differ between the two structural elements of the fruit (pulp, peel), or between the phenot although some specifics also existed. In all extracts, the volatile composition dominated by oxygenated monoterpene derivatives (72.6% and 81.9% in the pulp 71.4% and 68.4% in the peel for the PA-SB and PA-NB phenotypes, respectively), foll by monoterpene hydrocarbons (16.3% and 14.2% in fruit pulp; 8.4% and 15.5% in the Sesquiterpene hydrocarbons and oxygenated sesquiterpene derivatives were not det in the concrete from the pulp of PA-NB phenotype, while diterpene representatives found only in the concrete from the peel of PA-SB phenotype (3.0% of the iden content). The results revealed that the differences between the two phenotypes were pronounced with regard to the extractible aromatic compounds in the peel compared the fruit pulp. Thus, it could be presumed that fruit origin (phenotype) would no decisive factor for the organoleptic properties of the final product in P. alkekengi juice production, but would probably affect the usability of the resultant waste (pe seed/peel residue); of course, additional and more targeted investigations are need support such assumptions, utilizing a wider range of sampling, parameter selection statistical tools. The comparison of the data obtained for the respective aromatic products from two phenotypes revealed significant differences in the contents of a number of minor and major components with known fragrance properties; for instance, components in the pulp concretes included nerol (1.7% in PA-SB and 0.1% in PA-NB), neryl acetate (3.7% in PA-SB, not detected in PA-NB), and (5Z,9E)-farnesyl acetone (3.9% in PA-SB, not detected in PA-NB); components in the peel concretes included neryl acetate (11.4% in PA-SB and only 1.1% in PA-NB), sibirene (5.9% in PA-NB, not detected in PA-SB), germacrene D (6.9% in PA-SB and only 0.2% in PA-NB), and tau-cadinol (3.7% in PA-SB, not detected in PA-NB).
The classification of the identified fruit concrete constituents revealed the presence of compounds belonging to different chemical classes (Figure 4). The distribution of the identified compounds (equaled to 100%) did not suggest considerable differences between the two structural elements of the fruit (pulp, peel), or between the phenotypes, although some specifics also existed. In all extracts, the volatile composition was dominated by oxygenated monoterpene derivatives (72.6% and 81.9% in the pulp and 71.4% and 68.4% in the peel for the PA-SB and PA-NB phenotypes, respectively), followed by monoterpene hydrocarbons (16.3% and 14.2% in fruit pulp; 8.4% and 15.5% in the peel). Sesquiterpene hydrocarbons and oxygenated sesquiterpene derivatives were not detected in the concrete from the pulp of PA-NB phenotype, while diterpene representatives were found only in the concrete from the peel of PA-SB phenotype (3.0% of the identified content). The results revealed that the differences between the two phenotypes were more pronounced with regard to the extractible aromatic compounds in the peel compared with the fruit pulp. Thus, it could be presumed that fruit origin (phenotype) would not be a decisive factor for the organoleptic properties of the final product in P. alkekengi juice/pulp production, but would probably affect the usability of the resultant waste (peel or seed/peel residue); of course, additional and more targeted investigations are needed to support such assumptions, utilizing a wider range of sampling, parameter selection, and statistical tools.

Conclusions
The results achieved by this study conducted on P. alkekengi fruit from Bulgaria add new details to the existing knowledge about the species. The study revealed that each of the fruit structural parts (peel, pulp, and seeds) or the resultant by-products (the seed cakes), rarely analyzed individually, had its specific features in terms of the assessed chemical characteristics, thus suggesting different options for their prospective use as sources of functional macro-and micronutrients-fiber, protein and some essential amino acids, oils and unsaturated fatty acids, tocopherols, and minerals. The study also provides new data on the obtaining and identification of the volatile profiles of P. alkekengi fruit concretes, thus contributing to the expansion of the range of available aromatic products. The presence of a number of aroma-active volatile compounds in the obtained peel and pulp concretes spoke in favor of a tangible potential for their future consideration as ingredients, e.g., in perfumery and cosmetic formulations. The results on the phenotyperelated differences presented in the study also suggested that fruit origin could, to a lesser or greater extent, affect the chemical composition of the assessed individual parts of P. alkekengi fruit and the aromatic products derived from them, especially if considering fruit properties on a wider geographical basis, in which genotype would most probably be another decisive factor. Based on these considerations, the outcomes from the study could be the grounds for future investigations in the indicated directions.

Institutional Review Board Statement: Not applicable.
Informed Consent Statement: Not applicable.

Data Availability Statement:
The data presented in this study are available on request from the authors.