Respiratory Behavior and Preservation of Mana Cubiu Stored at Different Temperatures of Refrigeration

Abstract

Mana-cubiu (Solanum sessiliflorum Dunal), also known as cocona, mana, and tomate de indio, is a tropical shrub that produces an exotic fruit that is desirable due to its pleasant flavor and aroma. It used in popular medicine to reduce cholesterol, uric acid and glucose in the blood. The major chemical components in the dried fruit are citric acid (14% of the dry weight) and carbohydrates (32% of the dry weight), but also include 5- caffeoylquinic acid as the major phenolic compound, as well as β-carotene (7.15 μg/g dry weight), lutein (2.41 μg/g dry weight) and spermidine hydroxycinnamic acid conjugates. The respiratory behavior, weight loss and firmness of fruits from maná cubiu (Solanum sessiliflorum) that were stored refrigerated at 6, 8, 10 and 24 °C were evaluated by the liberation of CO2 and their weights. Based on weight loss, storage at room temperature produced inferior quality after 8 days. At 6 and 8 °C the durability was 12 days. At 10 °C, there was less weight loss and better visual appearance. So, the best temperature for storage was found to be 10 °C. Keywords: Mana-cubiu, post-harvest, respiratory activity, Solanum sessiflorum Dunal, weight loss.