Abstract
The purpose of this study was to investigate on the postharvest physicochemical properties of Annona squamosa fruits. Changes in physicochemical parameters during ambient storage of the fruits for 9 days were determined. The fruits seeds’ chemical composition and physicochemical characteristics of the seeds oil were also studied. Results indicate that the seeds contain higher amounts of protein (18.34%) and oil (30.41%) than the fruit pulp. Levels of K, P and Mg are higher in the fruits and levels of Ca, Na, Cu, Zn and Fe are higher in the seeds. Moisture content, total sugar, reducing sugar, sucrose, titratable acidity and total soluble solids of the fruits increased significantly (p<0.05) during the storage, while ascorbic acid and pH declined. Accordingly, a maximum of 6 day-storage period for the fruits is satisfactorily. The seed protein contains leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, valine and histidine comparable to World Health Organization (WHO) reference patterns. Iodine and saponification values of the seeds oil are higher but the acid value and the peroxide value are lower. The high iodine value suggests susceptibility of the oil to autoxidation. Oleic acid is the major fatty acids in the oil, followed by linoleic, palmitic and stearic acids, respectively. In conclusion, the fruits’ physicochemical attributes suggest its adequacy for human nutrition. The seeds oil could also be useful for edible purpose.