Componentes qualitativos do cajá em sete municípios do Brejo Paraibano

Abstract

Yellow mombin (Spondias mombin L.) is a native fruit species with expressive potential for food industry in North Eastern of Brazil, due to the sensorial quality of its fruit, being a species that should be used for more extensive commercial crops. In this way, this work aimed to evaluate the physical and chemical characteristics of yellow mombin fruits for consumption as fresh or processed fruit from natural plants from Alagoa Grande, Alagoa Nova, Areia, Bananeiras, Borborema, Pilões and Sen-aria counties, located at "Brejo" microregion of Paraiba State, Brazil. Treatments were represented by seven counties were 5 (five) natural plants were selected (repetitions) and 30 (thirty) mature fruits were harvested in each plant, raising 150 (a hundred and fifty) fruits evaluated in a completely randomized design. Fruits were evaluated in relation to external and internal attributes as: fruit mass, width and length of fruits and seeds, percentages of pulp, skin and seed, water (%), soluble solids, industrial index and pulp pH. It concludes that yellow mombin fruits evaluated have mass varying from 8.36 to 20.4 g, soluble solids and pH in agreement to the standard market parameter but pulp percentage below food industry exigency.