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The study evaluated the phenolic content, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity (1,1-diphenyl- 2-picrylhydrazyl, DPPH, and 5'-lipoxygenase assay, respectively), and oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC), in Cocomerina pear, an old and rare variety of Pyrus communis. There are two cultivars of this pear that ripen in August and October, both of which are nowadays cultivated only in a small area of central Italy. Significant differences in polyphenolic content were observed between these cultivars, with a 30-40% increase in the late ripening cultivar relative to the early ripening one. Anthocyanin concentration was also strongly affected by the period and stage of maturation. In particular, it was 126-fold higher in fruits that ripen in October as compared to those that ripen in August. Ripe fruits of the late cultivar also exhibited higher antioxidant and antiinflammatory activities. These findings suggest that this ancient pear variety should be recovered and considered in the framework of biodiversity conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]