Characterization of Biochemical and Aromatic Compounds in ‘Tainung’ Papaya (Carica Papaya L.) Cultivar Grown in Türkiye
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.65888/icraft.3.1.1Abstract
Papaya (Carica papaya L.) is one of the most important fruit species cultivated in tropical and subtropical regions. Although typically a tropical fruit tree, it can also be successfully grown in subtropical areas with favorable microclimatic conditions. The Mediterranean region of Türkiye offers considerable potential for papaya cultivation due to its suitable subtropical climate. Easy cultivation, rapid growth, high adaptability, and short economic return period make papaya a promising alternative crop for expansion in Türkiye. Beyond its nutritional value, papaya is also appreciated for its health-promoting properties. Rich in vitamins A, B, and C, as well as essential minerals, the fruit provides bioactive compounds with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, and digestive regulatory effects, making it valuable for the food, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical industries. This study aimed to investigate the biochemical composition and volatile aroma compounds of the papaya cultivar ‘Tainung’ grown under the ecological conditions of the Akdeniz district in Mersin (Mediterranean region, Türkiye). The results showed that total antioxidant (DPPH) activity was 39.19%, total phenolic content was 28.09 mg GAE/100 g, and monomeric anthocyanin content was 2.47 mg/L. Four sugars were identified—sucrose, glucose, fructose, and xylose with glucose (36.75%) and fructose (37.99%) being the most abundant. Among organic acids, citric acid (5.67%) and ascorbic acid (0.88%) were dominant. Volatile compound analysis identified a total of 33 components (8 aldehydes, 8 alcohols, 4 esters, 5 acids, and 8 ketones), with acids, aldehydes, and esters as the predominant groups. The most abundant volatiles were butanoic acid (49.72%), acetaldehyde (6.40%), and 2-methoxyethanol acetate (8.66%). These findings indicate that papaya grown under Mediterranean conditions possesses a rich biochemical composition and a distinctive aroma profile. Particularly, its high antioxidant activity, phenolic content, and ascorbic acid levels highlight the potential of papaya as a functional food with notable health benefits. The results provide a scientific basis for promoting papaya cultivation in Türkiye and support its potential use in health-related and industrial applications.
References
Matsuane, C., Kavoo, A. M., Kiage, B. N., Karanja, J., Rimberia, F. K. Nutrient content and biochemical analysis of papaya (Carica papaya L.) hybrids grown in central Kenya. Plant Sci Today, 10, 263-268. (2023)
Pino, J. A., Almora, K., & Marbot, R. (2003). Volatile components of papaya (Carica papaya L., Maradol variety) fruit. Flavour and fragrance journal, 18(6), 492-496.
Özkan, A., Gübbük, H., Güneş, E., Erdoğan, A. (2011). Antioxidant capacity of juice from different papaya (Carica papaya L.) cultivars grown under greenhouse conditions in Turkey. Turkish Journal of Biology, 35(5), 619-625. (2011)
Wijaya, H. (2013). Flavour of papaya (Carica papaya L.) fruit. Biotropia, 20(1).
Bozan, B.; Başer, K.H.C.; Kara, S. Quantitative determination of naphthaquinones of Arnebia densiflora (Nordm.) Ledeb. by an improved high-performance liquid chromatograpic method. J. Chromatog. A 1997, 782, 133–136.
Kafkas, N.E.; Kosar, M.; Payda¸s, S.; Kafkas, S.; Baser, K.H.C. Quality characteristics of strawberry genotypes at different maturation stages. Food Chem. 2007, 100, 1229–1236.
Kallio, H.; Hakala, M.; Pelkkikangas, A.M.; Lapveteläinen, A. Sugars and acids of strawberry varieties. Eur. Food Res. Technol. 2000, 212, 81–85.
Spanos, G. A., & Wrolstad, R. E. (1990). Influence of processing and storage on the phenolic composition of Thompson seedless grape juice. Journal of agricultural and food chemistry, 38(7), 1565-1571.
Uzun, H. I., & Bayır, A. (2007). Determination of total phenolic content and antiradical activities of the seeds of some wine grape varieties (Master’s theses). Antalya, Turkey: University of Akdeniz.
Spectrometry, 47(9), 1104-1112. https://doi.org/10.1002/jms.3045
Giusti MM, Wrolstad RE (2001) Anthocyanins: characterization and measurement with UV-visible spectroscopy. Curr Protoc Food Anal Chem 1:1–13. https://doi.org/10.1002/0471142913.faf0102s00
Re, R., Pellegrini, N., Proteggente, A., Pannala, A., Yang, M., & Rice-Evans, C. (1999). Antioxidant activity applying an improved ABTS radical cation decolorization assay. Free radical biology and medicine, 26(9-10), 1231-1237.
Steel RGD, Torrie JH. (1960). Principles and procedures of statistics.
Patthamakanokporn, O., Puwastien, P., Nitithamyong, A. and Sirichakwal, P.P. 2008. Changes of antioxidant activity and total phenolic compounds during storage of selected fruits. Journal of Food Composition and Analysis 21(3): 241-248.
Lim, Y.Y., Lim, T.T. and Tee, J.J. 2007. Antioxidant properties of several tropical fruits: A comparative study. Food Chemistry 103: 1003-1008
Lee, J.C., VijayRaghavan, K., Celniker, S.E. and Tanouye, M.A. 1995. Identification of a Drosophila muscle development gene with structural homology to mammalian early growth response transcription factors. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 92 (22): 10344-10348.
Toci, A. T., Crupi, P., Gambacorta, G., Dipalmo, T., Antonacci, D., & Coletta, A. (2012). Free and bound aroma compounds characterization by GC‐MS of Negroamaro wine as affected by soil management. Journal of Mass.
Roberts D.D., P. Pollien, C. Milo (2000) Solid-phase microextraction method development for headspace analysis of volatile flavor compounds, J. Agric. Food Chem., 48, 2430–2437
Sgorbini, B., Cagliero, C., Cordero, C., Liberto, E., Rubiolo, P., & Bicchi, C. (2006). Headspace sampling and gas chromatography of plants: A successful combination to study the composition of a plant volatile fraction.
Encyclopedia of analytical chemistry: Applications, theory and instrumentation, 1-31.
Flath, R. A., Forrey, R. R., & Guadagni, D. G. (1983). Volatile components of papaya (Carica papaya L.). Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 31(5), 1004–1008.
Ayala-Zavala, J. F., Wang, S. Y., Wang, C. Y., & González-Aguilar, G. A. (2004). Effect of storage temperatures on antioxidant capacity and aroma compounds in papaya fruit. Food Science and Technology International, 10(5), 343–350.
Pino, J. A., Almora, K., & Marbot, R. (2003a). Volatile components of papaya (Carica papaya L., Maradol variety) fruit. Flavour and fragrance journal, 18(6), 492-496.
Jordan, M. J., Tandon, K., Shaw, P. E., & Goodner, K. L. (2001). Aromatic profile of aqueous essence and fresh fruit of papaya (Carica papaya L.) by GC–MS and GC–O. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 49(12), 5883–5887.
Yahia, E. M., Barry-Ryan, C., & Dris, R. (2011). Papaya (Carica papaya L.). In Postharvest Biology and Technology of Tropical and Subtropical Fruits (pp. 201–239). Woodhead Publishing.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
This journal is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0). This license permits anyone to copy, redistribute, remix, transmit and adapt the work provided the original work and source is appropriately cited.
