Physico-chemical characterization and biometry of fruits of ‘pequi’ in Western Bahia

Roxana S M Nascimento,Fabio D M Cocozza

doi:10.1590/1807-1929/agriambi.v19n8p791-796

Roxana S M Nascimento, Fabio D M Cocozza

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1590/1807-1929/agriambi.v19n8p791-796

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Abstract

<title>ABSTRACT</title><p>In Cerrado, there are numerous native fruit species with potential for use in traditional systems of agricultural production. In this context, the ‘pequi’ stands out in this biome by its great economic value in Central Brazil. Therefore, this work aimed to study the physical and physico-chemical characterization of Pequi fruits in the Western Region of Bahia. Three hundred fruits were sampled from ten matrices which were collected in an area of the municipality of Angical, BA and conducted to the Seed Laboratory of the State University of Bahia - UNEB. For physical evaluations, the fruit weight; longitudinal and transversal diameters of the fruit; total weight of seeds per fruit; pulp weight, peel weight and pulp yield were considered. As for the physico-chemical evaluations, the fruit pulp was subjected to the determinations of pH, the soluble solids (SS), titratable acidity (TA) and the relation between soluble solids and titratable acidity. For the variables, longitudinal and transversal diameters, the pulp weight, peel weight, seed weight, fruit weight and pulp yield, the mean were, respectively, 63.49 and 61.29 mm, 12.51, 101.91, 27.48, 114.41 g and 11.17%. However, with regard to pH, SS, AT and SS/AT, means were 5.32, 11.95 °Brix, 1.76 and 11.53. The results indicated that there are statistically significant differences between all the physical and physico-chemical variables evaluated.</p>

Highlights

There is an enormous potential for exploitation of native fruits in the Brazilian agribusiness sector (Hansen et al, 2013)
The pequizeiro (Caryocar brasiliense Camb.) that belongs to Caryocaraceae family stands out in this biome by its great economic value in Central Brazil (Souza et al, 2007)
According to the results regarding the biometric evaluations (Table 2), the longitudinal diameter of the fruits of Caryocar brasiliense showed a variation between 58.51 and 72.58 mm but the transversal diameter showed a variation between 56.08 and 69.82 mm, slightly lower than those valuesreported in Silva & Medeiros Filho (2006), which studied the morphology of the fruit Caryocar coriaceum and showed a variation in longitudinal diameter of 5.8 to 7.4 cm and the transversal diameter ranged between 5.7 and 7.3 cm

Summary

Introduction

There is an enormous potential for exploitation of native fruits in the Brazilian agribusiness sector (Hansen et al, 2013). In Cerrado, there are numerous native fruit species with potential for use in traditional systems of agricultural production. In this context, the pequizeiro (Caryocar brasiliense Camb.) that belongs to Caryocaraceae family stands out in this biome by its great economic value in Central Brazil (Souza et al, 2007). The pequizeiro (Caryocar brasiliense Camb.) that belongs to Caryocaraceae family stands out in this biome by its great economic value in Central Brazil (Souza et al, 2007) It is a perennial plant, native from cerrado region (Oliveira et al, 2009). The fruit of pequizeiro can be characterized as a drupe with green peel, generally containing between 1 and 4 seeds per fruit, called pyrenes, that are composed of an woody endocarp with numerous thorns, internally containing the seed or an edible almond, and enveloped by a pulp adhered to the kernel of intense yellow color, fleshy and with high oil content, called the inner mesocarp (Soares Júnior et al, 2009; Oliveira et al, 2009)

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