Postharvest Characterization of Passiflora cincinnata Fruit Pulp at Different Ripening Stages

Wild passion fruit ( Passiflora cincinnata ) has great adaptability to the semi -arid environment of the Caatinga biome, Brazil. However, information about the postharvest quality and the ideal ripening points of the fruits are still insufficient in the literature. Thus, the objective of this study was to analyze the physical, chemical characteristics and bioactive compounds of P. cincinnata fruit at different ripening stages, harvested in the Brazilian semi -arid region. Three ripening stages (stage I = 100% green peel color; stage II = greenyellow peel color; stage III = yellow -green peel color) were evaluated. Physical characteristics (pulp yield with seeds pulp yield without seeds, pulp volume without seeds, fresh peel mass, rind thickness, longitudinal fruit diameter, transversal fruit diameter, fruit shape, longitudinal inner cavity diameter, transversal inner cavity diameter, and firmness) in the whole fruit and physicochemical (moisture, ashes, pH, H + ion concentration, soluble solids, titratable acidity, SS/TA ratio, reducing sugars, non -reducing sugars, soluble sugars, and proteins) and bioactive compounds (ascorbic acid, total chlorophyll, carotenoids, flavonoids, anthocyanins, and phenolic compounds) in the fruit pulp were evaluated. Based on the physical and physicochemical characteristics and bioactive compounds analyzed in the P. cincinnata pulp, the stage II of ripening stands out as the most promising for in natura consumption and elaboration of food products of this fruit. The results obtained allowed us to prove the nutritional potentiality of the fruit, providing technical subsidies for the use of P. cincinnata in agroindustry.