Morphological, nutritional, mineral, and textural diversity in jackfruit genotypes

Jackfruit ( Artocarpus heterophyllus Lam.) is a genetically diverse and underutilized fruit crop of increasing relevance to food security and sustainable agriculture. This study characterized twenty jackfruit genotypes for morphological, nutritional, mineral, and textural traits. Significant variation was observed among genotypes for pulp yield, phenolic content, mineral concentration, and softening behavior after boiling. Pulp yield ranged from 33.7 to 51.2%, phenolic content from 227.5 to 950.6 mg gallic acid equivalents per 100 g, mineral concentration from 23,421 to 38,161 ppm, and reduction in compressive force after boiling from 44 to 87%. Correlation analysis and principal component analysis revealed clear phenotypic differentiation among genotypes, with the first two principal components explaining 44.9% of the total variation. Genotypes G2, G9, G10, and G14 exhibited relatively higher antioxidant activity, mineral content, and color stability, whereas G13, G15, and G16 showed higher pulp yield and greater softening after boiling. These findings demonstrate substantial phenotypic diversity within the evaluated germplasm and identify accessions with distinct trait profiles that may be useful for subsequent breeding, postharvest, and processing studies.