NUTRIENT CHANGES DURING FRUIT RIPENING OF (SOLANUM spp.) BERRIES

Abstract

The aim of the research is to compare the quality indicators of the fruits of different types of nightshades grown in Lithuania. The research was done in 2022 at the Vytautas Magnus University Agriculture Academy at the Food Raw Materials Quality Laboratory of the Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences. This study determined the change in the amount of dry matter, fiber, and protein during different ripening stage in four types of nightshade fruit (S. retroflexum – wonderberry, S. melanocerasum – sunberry, Solanum. nigrum var. americanum – black nightshade, S. villosum – hairy nightshade). The highest amount of dry matter was determined in the III ripening stage for all varieties of nightshade fruits, significantly more of them were S. nigrum var. americanum 22.30% and S. retroflexum 21.75% compared to other species through the ripening period. Determined that S. villosum fruits had the highest amounts of fiber in all ripening stage compared to other species. During the ripening stage, the protein content in the fruits decreased. S. melanocerasum 16.85 % was determined in the highest amount of protein in stage I.