Abstract
The fresh fruit sector and its processing industry are always looking for reliable non-destructive methods to help them better understand fruit characteristics and control product quality. In this study, mulberry fruits harvested at commercial ripeness were sorted into eight groups (S1–S8) depending on their density. The physicochemical parameters, nutritional quality, bioactive compounds, and cellular structure were analyzed. Lower density mulberries were found to contain lower total soluble solids, higher 1-deoxynojirimycin, and chlorogenic acid. The highest contents of ascorbic acid, phenolics acid, and flavonoids were found in mulberries at the S6 stage, with 257.4 mg/100g DW, 524.06 mg/100g DW and 463.62 mg/100g DW, respectively. Moreover, The Order Performance based on the Similarity to Ideal Solution method (TOPSIS) analysis indicated that mulberry at the S6 stage had the highest nutritional value. Besides, a rapid decrease in fruit hardness, degradation of the middle lamella in the cell wall, and decrease in the content of bioactive compounds after the fruit density exceeded 1.025 g/cm3 indicates that they are not suitable for further storage and should be consumed or processed immediately. The findings of this study will provide a basis for precisely classifying mulberries for further fine processing.
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