Tocochromanols composition in seeds recovered from different pear cultivars: RP-HPLC/FLD and RP-UPLC-ESI/MSn study

•Pear seeds are a source of four tocopherol (T) homologues (α, β, γ and δ).•The γ-T is a predominant tocochromanol (87%) in pear seeds.•Cultivar of pears has a minor influence on tocopherols profile in seeds.

Composition of tocochromanols was studied in seeds recovered from eight pear (Pyrus communis L.) cultivars, six dessert and two interstock, grown in a single environment. Four tocopherol (T) homologues, namely α, β, γ and δ, were quantified in all tested samples by RP-HPLC/FLD method. The RP-UPLC-ESI/MSn analyses confirmed the identity obtained by the RP-HPLC/FLD method and the additional trace amounts of two tocotrienol homologues, α and γ, were detected. The concentration of individual tocopherol homologues in seeds of different pear cultivars, expressed in mg/100 g dry weight basis, dw, was in the follow range: 4.00-5.98 (α-T), 0.11-0.31 (β-T), 32.06-42.07 (γ-T) and 0.43-1.21 (δ-T). The γ-T was the main tocopherol homologue identified in pear seeds and constituted approximately 87% of the total detected tocochromanols. Only minor variation of the ratio of individual tocopherol homologues (α, β, γ and δ; 31:1:234:5) was observed in all studied samples.