Articles
Postharvest physiological indicators for assessing the phenotypic variation of monkey orange (Strychnos spinosa) fruit in Eswatini
Article number
1466_64
Pages
527 – 532
Language
English
Abstract
Monkey orange (Strychnos spinosa) is an underutilised African fruit with its pulp consumed by rural populations.
It is rich in nutrients and phytochemicals, which makes it a great potential candidate for value addition to enhance nutrient intake.
It is widely distributed in the lowveld of Eswatini, with a few specimens also found in households and in the dry Middleveld.
This study aimed to determine the postharvest attributes of S. spinosa from the upper Lowveld (Nyakatfo) and lower Lowveld (Phonjwane) of Eswatini.
The experiment was laid out in a complete block design, and each treatment was replicated five times.
Fruits sourced from Nyakatfo had a significantly higher fruit diameter (109.71 mm) and fruit weight (816.10 g), which correlated with a higher mean pulp weight (110.83 g), number of seeds (79) and seed weight (171.96 g). Fruits sourced from Phonjwane had a significantly higher total soluble solids (15.28) and lower titratable acidity (3.58%), indicating variation in the degree of ripeness from the two areas.
Therefore, the results from the two areas may serve as a basis for selecting S. spinosa fruits for value addition and product development.
It is rich in nutrients and phytochemicals, which makes it a great potential candidate for value addition to enhance nutrient intake.
It is widely distributed in the lowveld of Eswatini, with a few specimens also found in households and in the dry Middleveld.
This study aimed to determine the postharvest attributes of S. spinosa from the upper Lowveld (Nyakatfo) and lower Lowveld (Phonjwane) of Eswatini.
The experiment was laid out in a complete block design, and each treatment was replicated five times.
Fruits sourced from Nyakatfo had a significantly higher fruit diameter (109.71 mm) and fruit weight (816.10 g), which correlated with a higher mean pulp weight (110.83 g), number of seeds (79) and seed weight (171.96 g). Fruits sourced from Phonjwane had a significantly higher total soluble solids (15.28) and lower titratable acidity (3.58%), indicating variation in the degree of ripeness from the two areas.
Therefore, the results from the two areas may serve as a basis for selecting S. spinosa fruits for value addition and product development.
Publication
Authors
M.P. Ngwenya, S.P. Thwala, M.M. Dlamini, K.A. Nxumalo
Keywords
indigenous fruit, value addition, physicochemical attributes, landraces
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