Proximate composition, minerals profile, and predominant sugars by ion chromatograph along the physiological development of jabuticaba var. Pingo de mel

Abstract The objective of this study was to characterize jabuticaba fruits for their proximate composition, minerals profile, and predominant sugars during fruit physiological development. The fruits were harvested ten days after anthesis (DAA) until maturity, at intervals of four days between collections. The period between anthesis and maturity was 34 days. An increase in moisture was observed, as for protein and lipids up to 18 DAA, with subsequent reduction until ripening, while an opposite behavior was observed for ash and carbohydrates levels. In general, minerals decreased throughout the fruit development. Regarding the carbohydrates profile, fructose showed the highest concentration, followed by glucose and sucrose, respectively, with an increase during ripening for all sugars. Whereas the sweet taste of fruit is a major factor for both consumption in natura and processing, we observed that jabuticaba fruits harvested 34 days after anthesis presented the best results.