Physical and biochemical properties of selected tropical fruits

This study was conducted to determine the phy- sical and biochemical properties of guava, sapota, and papaya. The physical properties studied were: dimensions, shell ratio, surface area, bulk and true density, porosity, sphericity, packing coeffi- cient, aspect ratio, and roundness index. The specific heat at various mass fractions, biochemical properties like pH, titratable acidity, total soluble solids, and colour analysis were studied for fruit pulps. The viscosity of fruits was studied at various mass fractions. The high sphericity of guava and sapota indicated that those fruits had high rolling capability, which is an important factor for designing hoppers. Bioch emical analysis showed that sapota was the sweetest fruit amongst the three studied.