Evaluation of variation in physical and physio-biochemical parameters of Citrus limon “Assam lemon” fruits at different stages of development and storage
Assam lemon is a distinct cultivar of Citrus limon grown primarily in Northeast India. The current study, along with physical parameters, delves into physio-biochemical changes of Assam lemon fruit (ALF) peel (PL) and pulp (PP). PL samples were analyzed from 7 days after fruiting (DAF) to 150 DAF, whereas PP and juice samples were evaluated from 30 to 150 DAF. The study further examines changes in these traits during postharvest storage for 7 to 28 days under room temperature (RT) and cold temperature (CT) storage conditions. The study's key findings on ALF composition revealed that at 150 DAF, the fruits had the highest pH (3.12 ± 0.12), % juice content (% JC) (52.16% ± 0.92%), citric acid (0.24 ± 0.02 g/ml), total sugar (227.16 ± 4.19 μg/ml), reducing sugar (29.76 ± 1.43 μg/ml), and carotenoid content (2.81 ± 0.15 mg/g). During storage, these parameters peaked at 28 days after storage (DAS) (except % JC and citric acid), particularly in samples stored at RT. Further, pectin content (PC) in both PL and PP was highest at 60 DAF and 7 DAS and lowest at 150 DAF and 28 DAS. However, pectin purity peaked during 7 and 150 DAF in the PL and 150 DAF in the PP at different stages of fruit development. Also, pectin purity peaked at 7 DAS in PL and PP during RT and CT storage. Also, PP of fruit had more PC than PL throughout the developmental stages. In addition, the degree of pectin esterification was highest at 30 DAF and 7 DAS in the PL and PP and lowest at 150 DAF and 28 DAS. Despite a few physio-biochemical concentrations showing variations at different developmental stages, most physio-biochemical concentrations peaked at 150 DAF, 7 DAS, and 28 DAS. These insights into the physio-biochemical changes during development and storage advance our understanding of ALF's growth and post-harvest physiology, offering valuable information to the food and pharmaceutical industries for better fruit selection and handling.
Ahmed R, Akhtar S, Das A, Begum K, Saikia D, Saikia S, Banu S. Evaluation of variation in physical and physio-biochemical parameters of Citrus limon “Assam lemon” fruits at different stages of development and storage. J Appl Biol Biotech 2026. Article in Press. http://doi.org/10.7324/jabb.2026.305832
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