Strawberry Genotypes Show Wide Diversity in Yield and Polyphenols, Docking Study Finds

Strawberry breeding programs now have a detailed new reference point. A study published in BMC Plant Biology evaluated agronomic traits, fruit quality, phytochemical composition and antioxidant activity across strawberry cultivars and newly developed F1 genotypes, and paired that field assessment with computational predictions of how key strawberry polyphenols interact with HMG-CoA reductase, an enzyme involved in cholesterol biosynthesis.

The results showed that genotype strongly influenced nearly every measured trait, including yield, fruit weight, soluble solids, titratable acidity, color traits, organic acids, sugars, phenolic compounds, anthocyanins and antioxidant activity. Two experimental lines stood out for productivity: Genotype 50 and Genotype 87 produced the highest yields, reaching 852.6 and 818.0 grams per plant, respectively. By contrast, the cultivar ‘Albion’ produced the largest fruits, with an average fruit weight of 27.7 grams per fruit, illustrating how yield and fruit size can diverge across genotypes.

Fruit chemistry also varied widely. ‘Sevgi’ showed the most favorable sweetness profile, standing out for fructose content and soluble solids. Across all genotypes, pelargonidin-3-glucoside was the predominant anthocyanin, and it reached its maximum level in Genotype 87 at 122.2 milligrams per kilogram of fresh weight. Genotype 299 emerged as the phytochemical standout, recording the highest total phenolic content at 2224.9 milligrams of gallic acid equivalents per kilogram of fresh weight, the highest ellagic acid concentration at 40.6 milligrams per kilogram of fresh weight, and the highest antioxidant activity at 1685 micromoles of Trolox equivalents per 100 grams of fresh weight.

The authors argue that these differences matter for breeding strategy. Genotypes 50 and 87 appear suitable for yield-oriented selection, while Genotype 299 may be valuable in programs aimed at raising phenolic content and antioxidant capacity. Because fruit quality and biochemical composition are strongly genotype-dependent, the dataset offers breeders a way to balance market traits such as yield and fruit size against nutritional quality markers such as phenolics and anthocyanins.

The second half of the study turned to molecular docking, a computational method that predicts how small molecules bind to a target protein. Ellagic acid and pelargonidin-3-glucoside showed favorable predicted binding affinities toward HMG-CoA reductase, with docking scores of −9.7 and −9.5 kilocalories per mole, respectively.

The researchers are explicit that these docking results are in silico findings only. They note that the predicted interactions should be validated through enzyme inhibition assays, simulated digestion, bioavailability studies and further biological tests. A favorable docking score indicates a plausible binding pose and energy, not demonstrated enzyme inhibition in a living system, and it says nothing about whether the compounds reach the enzyme at relevant concentrations after digestion and absorption.

The study was published as open access research on 27 October 2026 and is being shared early as a peer-reviewed, accepted version that carries a permanent DOI, with a final Version of Record to follow. The work was conducted by Erdal Ağçam, Mehmet Ali Sarıdas, Sevgi Paydaş Kargı and Kerem Mertoglu.

For breeders and food scientists, the practical takeaway is the separation of traits: high yield, large fruit, sweetness and phytochemical density were distributed across different genotypes rather than concentrated in one. That pattern suggests that cultivar selection and crossing strategies can target specific quality goals, whether productivity, sweetness or phenolic content, using the genotype-level data reported here.

For readers interested in the health angle, the appropriate caution is that the cholesterol-related link remains a computational hypothesis. The strawberry polyphenols identified here are real dietary compounds, and their measured concentrations in the fruit are established by this study, but any effect on HMG-CoA reductase in humans would require the experimental validation steps the authors themselves outline before it could be considered established.

Subject of Research: Genotypic diversity in strawberry agronomic traits and polyphenols, with molecular docking of key polyphenols against HMG-CoA reductase

Article Title: Comprehensive assessment of strawberry genotypic diversity and molecular docking-based evaluation of key polyphenols targeting HMG-CoA reductase

Article References: Ağçam, E., Sarıdas, M. A., Kargı, S. P., & Mertoglu, K. (2026). Comprehensive assessment of strawberry genotypic diversity and molecular docking-based evaluation of key polyphenols targeting HMG-CoA reductase. BMC Plant Biology. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12870-026-10255-9

Image Credits: AI Generated

DOI: 10.1186/s12870-026-10255-9

Keywords: strawberry, genotypes, breeding, polyphenols, anthocyanins, antioxidant activity, molecular docking, HMG-CoA reductase, ellagic acid, pelargonidin-3-glucoside, fruit quality, phytochemicals