Fruit quality and preliminary peel pigment screening in Jacaratia spinosa genotypes from the Paranaense Forest

Abstract

ABSTRACT Jacaratia spinosa (Aubl.) A. DC. is a native dioecious tree from the Atlantic Forest with important cultural and biological relevance, although its fruits remain underutilized. This study aimed to characterize the morphological, physicochemical, and nutritional traits of fruits from female genotypes collected in different locations of Misiones, Argentina, and to perform a preliminary assessment of peel-derived pigment extracts. Fifteen female genotypes were georeferenced and evaluated. Significant variability was observed for fruit weight (28.28-81.94 g), fruit length (5.57-7.65 cm), and pulp yield (40.29-56.90%). The fruits also showed high soluble solids content (mean 15.91 °Brix) and relevant concentrations of potassium (777.52 mg 100 g-¹), calcium (87.41 mg 100 g-¹), and magnesium (98.88 mg 100 g-¹). Multivariate analysis did not reveal clear clustering according to geographic origin, suggesting that fruit quality traits were more strongly associated with phenotypic variation among sampled plants than with sampling location. For peel extraction, the highest yield (53.29%) was obtained using 60% ethanol for 90 min. FT-IR analysis indicated spectral differences among extracts and spectral regions commonly associated with plant pigment-related compounds. These results highlight the potential of J. spinosa for selection of superior horticultural materials, horticultural exploitation, and the valorization of fruit processing by-products.