Caracterización físico-química de frutas frescas de cultivos no tradicionales en Venezuela. II: La pitanga

the pitanga, eugenia unifl ora l., is a native fruit of brasil with important nutritious qualities and wide adaptation to different conditions of climate, soil and handle. this fruit has been introduced to argentina, colombia and venezuela , although it is little known in this last. fruits harvested of three plants at the jardín de introducción de frutales del ceniap were evaluated by two consecutive years, with the purpose to determinate its physical-chemistry characteristics under the conditions of aragua state. beside to assess its potencial of production in small rural communities as sources of vitamins when is consumed as fresh fruit. fresh weight, ecuatorial and distal diameter and its relation was measured in a total of 60 fruits for each plant. seeds number; juice yield; solids soluble total (sst); titratable acidity; ph; vitamin c and carotenoids, were determined. the fruits are fl at with averages values from 4,0 g, 2 seeds, 8,0 °brix, 1,0 g.100 ml-1 for citric acid and 33% yield of juice. the results are in agriment with the ranges reported at the amazonia native zone. furthermore, confi rming its high vitaminic content based in the concentration of carotenoids