Caracterización de frutos de caimito (Chrysophyllum Caínito L) variedades verde y morado e influencia de la época de cosecha en la calidad de los frutos

Abstract

The Caimito (Chrysophyllum cainito L) belongs to the Sapotaceae family. This family includes trees or shrubs widely distributed in the tropics of both hemispheres. In Venezuela is grown primarily in gardens as an ornamental tree and shadow; however, the fruits have exquisite taste and nutritional value for calcium, phosphorus, vitamins A and C. The objective of the study consisted of the chemical evaluation of the fruits of caimito, varieties green and purple, from an experimental garden established on the farm El Reto, University of the Andes, located in Monay, Trujillo State. The variables evaluated were: titratable acidity, total soluble solids (TSS), SST/Acidity ratio, reducing sugars content, dry matter and moisture content. The experimental design corresponded to a factorial with two factors at two levels each (2²): variety (green and purple) and early and late harvest with ten replications arranged at random. The results for all assessments were processed statistically using analysis of variance by means of the statistical package SAS®. Titratable acidity, reducing sugars content and dry matter were higher for the green variety; while TSS and moisture percent were statistically similar. The TSS/acid ratio was higher in the fruits of the purple variety. The harvest time factor had influence on the majority of the chemical variables