Pre and postharvest enzymatic activity in Gulupa (Passiflora edulis Sims) fruits from the colombian lower montane rain forest

Abstract

“High-Andean fruits” are deemed important because of their potential for domestic consumption and exportation. Among them, gulupa (Passiflora edulis Sims) is an exotic fruit of good acceptance in European markets. However, the technological support associated with the crop is incipient and its short shelf life leads to rapid deterioration of the product. This fact makes it necessary to investigate the physical, physiological and biochemical processes that characterize fruit ripening, in order to take actions to ensure that it arrives in its best possible condition to the consumer. In this context, the current study aimed at identifying enzymatic activity in gulupa fruits during pre and postharvest. Plant material from the Colombian Gene Bank (administered by Corpoica) was used. Fruits of known age were periodically harvested to determine the activity of the enzymes α-amylase, polygalacturonase (PG), pectinmethylesterase (PME) and polyphenol oxidase (PPO) through destructive samplings. It was found that α-amylase and PG are linked to the increase of soluble solids, which favors the sweet taste of the fruit. In turn, the low activity of PPO enables agroindustrial processing without severe fruit browning.