Abstract. A spectrophotometric method in diffuse reflectance media was used for studying the enzymatic browning in cut or damaged apples. Absorbance spectra of sliced tissue of various apple cultivars was measured in the range from 200 nm to 450 nm with a Varian Cary 5 spectrophotometer operating in the reflectance mode. Browning reactions, monitored for 8 min in 2 min time intervals, demonstrate a variable composition of polyphenol compounds in apples. The potential of spectrophotometric analysis to study the contribution of different polyphenols in the browning of apples was demonstrated as well as its applicability to verify the results of any investigations on the enzymatic model system.