EVOLUTION OF COLOR DURING THE DEVELOPMENT OF EGGPLANT FRUITS

A study about the changes in colour throughout the development of three different cultivars of eggplant fruits has been carried out. These changes have been followed by measurement of the Hunter parameters (L, a, b) and by quantification of the main pigments present in these fruits (anthocyanins and chlorophylls). Determinations were carried out both in the peel and in the flesh. Results obtained showed that anthocyanins and chlorophylls began to decrease at 42 days of fruit life. This fact and also the minimum values for a and maximum values for L and b indicate that this date might be the ripening start. In the comparative study, significant differences in the color of peel have been found among cultivars both by physical measurements and by quantification of the pigments responsible for tipical eggplant colour. On the other hand, in the fruit flies no differences among varieties, were found in Hunter parameters nor in chlorophyll content responsible for the flesh tonality.