Studies on fruit growth-developmental changes associated with the maturity of Barbados cherry (Malpighia glabra Linn.)

Minor fruits have the potential to increase the diversity of the fruit basket alongside major fruit crops and offer significant potential for commercial exploitation; however, they remain underutilised. Barbados cherry is an important minor fruit with high nutritional value. Barbados cherry is an evergreen, bushy shrub attaining a height of 5–6 m, with erect, spreading or drooping, minutely hairy branches. Phenol degradation occurs during the maturation process. Harvesting the fruit at the appropriate stage of maturity is essential for achieving maximum fruit quality. However, limited information is available on its physicochemical changes that occur during maturation. Keeping this in view, the present experiment was conducted with the objective of studying the physicochemical changes during the growth and development of the fruit at 5-day intervals, analysed using a completely randomised design (CRD) and trend analysis. The most noticeable external indicator of maturity was the change in fruit colour from light green to deep red. From fruit set to fruit maturity, only 25 days were required for Barbados cherry to reach optimum commercial maturity. During maturation, total soluble solids (TSS) increased significantly, reaching 7.98 °Brix at maturity. The ascorbic acid (2158.82 mg/100 g) and phenol (3110.54 mg/100 g) contents were highest in immature fruits. The change in fruit colour was identified as an important practical indicator of maturity. Barbados cherry should be harvested at the appropriate stage of maturity because maturity strongly influences fruit quality, nutritional composition, market value and shelf life. Under the conditions of the present study, the fruit reached maturity approximately 25 days after fruit set.