English

Abstract

Pouteria genus has wide ethnobotanical tradition as food, remedies or wood to general uses, most of the available scientific information is limited to few species with economical potential as source of eatable fruits, while several other species remain without information about their pharmacological and economical potential. Due to organoleptic and n utritional characteristics the fruit is consumed in its fresh ripe state. The edible flesh has been assessed in relation to antioxidant activity. Diffe rent phenolic acids, flavonols, and carotenoids have bee n identified and based on this the inclusion of such fruit in diet has been recommended. In this ju ncture present analysis is attempted to reveal FTIR spectra of the fruits at different development al stages. Pouteria campechiana fruits at six different stages of development were collected (4WA P, 8WAP, 12WAP, 16WAP, 20WAP and 24WAP) and were subjected to FTIR spectral analysis . The resultant spectral peaks were analysed for the occurrence of characteristic functional gro ups that might represent the chemistry of various compounds present in the fruit pulp. Almost all sta ges of fruits were characterized by more or less similar peaks with different heights. Some of the p eaks were shared and others unique were interpreted. The fourth stage (16 WAP) shows peaks at 2300 and 2330 cm -1 which specifically corresponds to C=O stretch of CO 2 absorption and it is at this stage the ripening pr ocess begins. The presence and absence of specific spectral peaks in different fruit stages can be correlated to the maturity stage and further to the specific metaboli c shifts that are taking place in the plant in accordance with external and internal rhythms.