INFLUENCE OF PADDY HUSK ON THE RIPENING OF FRUIT OF Zizyphus mauritiana Lamk

The present investigation was aimed to study the influence of paddy husk on the ripening of detached fruits of Zizhyphus mauritiana Lamk. The control fruits were kept in the laboratory (room temperature), while the experimental fruits were treated with paddy husk. The fruits retained their green colour only for two days, on the third day the fruit colour changed to greenish yellow. While on the fourth day the colour become brownish. Hence, the acceptable storage period of Zizhyphus mauritiana fruits is only four days and afterwards the fruits became over ripened. All the studies were carried out using the peel and pulp of the fruit tissues individually and the following results were obtained during the process of ripening. The fruit firmness, titratable acidity, chlorophyll content, proteins, starch, ascorbic acid and phenols decreased during ripening both in the treated and control fruits. On the other hand, total soluble solids, pH, carotenoids, anthocyanin and sugar increased.