Effects of gamma-irradiation on the biochemical constituents and shelf-life of chico (Achras zapota L.)

• Main Author: Guerrero, Erlinda
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 1986
• Subjects: Sapodilla > Effect of gamma rays on; Biology
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_masteral/1157
• Institution: De La Salle University

Half-ripe chicos of approximately equal weights were irradiated with 50, 150 and 300 krad. With the unirradiated group serving as the control, the effects of the different doses on protein, ash, vitamin C and B-carotene contents of the fruits were investigated. Protein and ash contents were found to be unaffected (p. .01) by irradiation even at higher doses. Vitamin C and B-carotene however, were found to decrease significantly (p .01) especially when the higher doses were applied. Vitamin C was found to decrease by 31 percent, 64 percent and 80 percent when fruits were irradiated with 50, 150 and 300 krad, respectively. B-carotene on the other hand, was found to decrease by 6 percent, 40 percent and 55 percent at doses 50, 150 and 300 krad, respectively. Multiple range test - SNK proved that for both Vitamin C and B-carotene, the means observed for the different doses were significantly different (p 0.01) from each other. The irradiated fruits were also found to have longer shelf-life than the unirradiated group. Species of fungi isolated from the decaying chicos were predominantly Rhizopus sp. and Aspergillus sp.