Abstract
ABSTRACT Pera-do-cerrado (Eugenia klotzschiana O. Berg) has a good appearance and adequate post-harvest shelf life. However, little information is available regarding its maturity stages. This study aimed at characterizing E. klotzschiana fruits harvested at three maturity stages (immature, physiological mature and ripe), in addition to evaluating the physical and chemical changes during storage at ambient temperature (24 ± 2 ºC and 75 % ± 5 % of RH) for up to 5 days. The ripe fruits had a higher fresh mass (98.03 g), width (5.61 cm) and ratio (5.37), and lower titratable acidity (1.27 %). In contrast, immature fruits showed a greener peel (101.32 ºh) and higher vitamin C content (11.23 mg 100 g-1). There was an increase in the fresh weight loss (3.05 %) and a decrease in the peel luminosity (67.09-57.12 L*) and vitamin C content (8.11-5.04 mg 100 g-1). However, the soluble solids (SS) values did not change during the 5 days of storage. A reduction in the titratable acidity (TA; 1.29-1.06 %) was also observed, which resulted in a higher ratio (3.81-5.84). In conclusion, E. klotzschiana fruits should be harvested ripe, as they present larger dimensions, better color, higher SS/TA (flavor) and are less acidic.
Highlights
Cerrado (Brazilian Savanna) is a biome with a large diversity of native fruits that present unique flavors and contain high levels of sugars, minerals, fatty acids and proteins (Silva et al 2008)
Significant differences were observed for fresh mass among all maturity stages (Table 1)
Similar results were observed for fruit width, as significant differences among the maturity stages were found (Table 1)
Summary
Cerrado (Brazilian Savanna) is a biome with a large diversity of native fruits that present unique flavors and contain high levels of sugars, minerals, fatty acids and proteins (Silva et al 2008). Berg) is one of its fruits and may be consumed raw or in the form of juice, ice cream and jelly. This fruit has a high nutritional value, fiber content (6.45 g kg-1) and iron (16.5 mg kg-1). It is rich in carotenoids, flavonoids, phenolic compounds, ascorbic acid and has a high antioxidant activity (Carneiro et al 2019). The physicochemical characterization of fruits during ripening is closely related to the harvest index (Silva et al 2005)
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