POST COLLECTS VALORIZATION OF PAPAYA (Carica papaya L.): SYRUP CONSERVATION.

Résumé

ABSTRACT

Preserving nutritional values of a fruit can alleviate many problems caused by malnutrition. Therefore, the ability to reduce postharvest losses of tropical fruits brings us to the issue of the search of a technique that preserve the papaya (Carica papaya L.) fruit. The implementation or practice of papaya preservation technique can enable the optimal use of harvested papayas; the syrup barrier technique will be used for the preservation of papaya. The syrup-preserved papayas underwent a series of tests in order to determine their nutritional and organoleptic qualities. Syrup pulps are made from the local sunrise variety of Togo papayas and the Solo N° 8 papayas. Based on the conservation technique, two groups of syrup-preserved pulps were prepared for each variety and separated into batches. The fruits were analyzed before and after being preserve at room temperature (27 ± 1°C). For all batches, measurements were related to the parameters regarding  the flavor like the sugar rate of the pulps which represents the main soluble dry extract (SDE), evaluated in degree Brix (°Brix); assayable acidity of both fresh and syrup-preserved pulps; the water content of pulps; and mineral salts and ascorbic acid content of papaya pulps, have been determined. Beside, during and at the end of the preservation process, microbial evolution characteristics and sensory evaluations were checked. The obtained results show that the study characteristics vary according to varieties and the covering liquid after the preservation except the acidity. Variations in soluble dry extract (SDE) contents are significant. Organoleptic property tests reveal that both light syrup-preserved and medium-concentrated syrup-preserved fruits are successfully conserved.

Key words:  Preservation, fruits, syrup, nutritional qualities.