Abstract
The Skin Freckles is a papaya skin disorder that depreciates de fruit appearance and hampers its commercialization, although not lowering its nutritive value. Being the papaya a good source of ascorbic acid, β-carotene and licopene this research aimed at determining L-ascorbic acid, β-carotene and licopene content in papaya fruits, from 'Formosa' and 'Solo' group varieties, with and without apparent physiological skin disease (skin freckles). Fruits were harvested in the Southeast Region of Brazil. L-ascorbic acid content was determined by titration technique. β-carotene and licopene contents were determined by high performance liquid chromatography technique (HPLC). L-ascorbic acid content in papaya fruits ranged from (59.9 ± 3.4) mg 100 g-1 to (112.4 ± 12.6) mg 100 g-1 in fresh papaya pulp. β-carotene content ranged from (0.19 ± 0.07) mg 100 g-1 to (0.56 ± 0.09) mg 100 g-1 and that of licopene ranged from (1.44 ± 0.28) mg 100 g-1 to (3.39 ± 0.32) mg 100 g-1 in fresh papaya pulp. L-ascorbic acid contents of papaya fruits with skin disease averaged 7.0 mg 100 g-1 to 10.0 mg 100 g-1 higher than those of papaya fruits without skin freckles (P < 0.05).
Highlights
Among several substances from Carica papaya fruits chemical composition there are those with antioxidant activity, for example, as the carotenoids and L-ascorbic acid. β-carotene is the main carotenoid with pro-vitamin A activity (Olson, 1996)
In South Africa, papaya skin freckles is reported to occur mainly on fruits developing in those months with soil water deficiency and lower whether temperature, from April to July
Sample ranged from 7.0 to 10.0 mg 100 g-1 of papaya pulp, except for that from hybrid Tainung 01 (‘Formosa’) at ripen stage 2, harvested in February 2004. This result can be attributed to a low incidence of skin freckles presented in this fruits
Summary
Multiple functions are attributable to L-ascorbic acid in humans. It is important for its buffer function in oxidation reduction processes, and because of its molecular structure particularities in its ability for ions and hydrogen electrons transfer in reversible processes. Physiological papaya fruit skin disease present as skin freckles, gray or brown in color, ranging from very small points to 10 mm diameter dark halos. This disease, which is reported to occur in all papaya producing countries, decreases the fruit appearance, which lower its commercial value. Fruits more exposed to sun radiation presented higher intensity of skin freckles (Kaiser et al, 1996)
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