Characterization of Browning, Chlorogenic Acid Content, and Polyphenol Oxidase Activity in Different Varietal Types of Eggplant (Solanum melongena) for Improving Visual and Nutritional Quality

Eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) breeding for fruit quality has mostly focused on visual traits and nutritional and bioactive compounds, including chlorogenic acid. However, higher contents of chlorogenic acid may lead to more pronounced fruit flesh browning. We examined a diverse collection of 59 eggplant accessions across five varietal types (‘black oval’, ‘striped’, ‘anthocyanin-free’, ‘purple’, and ‘black elongated’) to evaluate the degree of browning, polyphenol oxidase (PPO) activity, and chlorogenic acid (CGA) content. The results reveal moderate correlations among these traits, with no clear differences among the varietal types, suggesting that other factors, including genetic variation, might significantly influence these traits. Notably, ‘black oval’ accessions demonstrated higher browning and PPO activity, whereas ‘striped’ accessions showed low variability. The identification of genotypes with lower browning and higher CGA content highlights opportunities for targeted genotype selection to improve eggplant chlorogenic acid content while maintaining low or moderate browning, pointing towards the importance of genetic considerations in breeding strategies to reduce browning and enhance nutritional value.