Chemometrics coupled to analytical techniques with simple sample preparation for quality control of Carica papaya in the post-harvest period

Abstract

Papaya (Carica papaya) is a fruit widely consumed worldwide due to its pleasant taste and high nutritional value. Brazil stands out as one of the largest papaya producers in the world, and exports have grown significantly in recent years. However, large losses of fruits are frequent due to the occurrence of phytosanitary problems, such as diseases caused by post-harvest fungi, causing a huge damage to those involved in the export. One of the main objectives of this project is the development of an innovative methodology for the early detection and classification of fungi present in papaya, since conventional methodologies are time consuming, labor intensive, require qualified personnel and can only be carried out from the demonstration of symptoms in fruits. The methodology developed would assist in making assertive decisions about the destination of the batches of the product in a timely manner, in order to avoid damages to producers, exporters and importers. Thus, Gas Chromatography techniques coupled to Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) and Solid Phase Microextraction (SPME) combined with chemometrics using metabolic identification (metabolomic analysis) as a fast and non-destructive alternative will be explored. A second objective is to propose a methodology to correlate physico-chemical properties of papaya, such as total solids, titratable acidity, texture and pH, to spectroscopy data in near and medium infrared region and hyperspectral images using chemometric tools and methods. Subsequently the model will be used to predict the properties of papaya exposed to different treatments for the control of diseases caused by fungi, such as active antimicrobial coatings. (AU)