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The present study entitled "Quality analysis of
papaya (Carica papaya L.) varieties and product development"
was undertaken with an objective to evaluate the quality of
papaya based on physical, chemical and organoleptic
characteristics, so as to identify the most suitable papaya
varieties for the development of papaya based products. The
study also aimed at selecting the best proportion for papaya
jelly by standardising at three different fruit extract - sugar
proportions viz. 1:1, 4:3 and 2:1 using the selected superior
varieties of papaya.
Ten desert varieties of papaya fruits viz.,
Waimanalo, Pusa Dwarf, Pusa Giant, Pusa Majesty, Pu s a
Delicious, Coorg Honeydew, Washington, Malaysian Long, Exotic
collection - 100091 and Exotic collection - 100060 were
selected for the study.
Study on the physical characteristics of the fruits
revealed that Malaysian Long occupied the superior position for
fruit length followed by the varieties Waimanalo, Pusa



Delicious and Washington.


Coorg Honeydew was recorded as the



heaviest fruit followed by Pusa Delicious.


Mean wh i 1 e both



f r u i t weight and frui t length was minimum for the two exotic



varieties.


It was identified that the papaya variety

Waimanalo was the best fruit in thickness of pericarp followed


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by the varieties Pusa Delicious and Washington.


Papaya fruits



of Pusa Dwarf, Pusa Majesty, Malaysian Long and Washington were



thin skinned frui ts.


The variety Exotic collection - 100060



was noticed to be having the least cavity width followed by the
varieties Malaysian Long, Washington and Exotic collection -
100091.
Data proved that Exotic collection - 100060 was the
fruit carrying the minimum skin wastage followed by Pusa Giant,



Pusa Dwarf and Coorg Honeydew.


In the case of seed wastage



Pu s a Delicious, Washington and Malaysian Long were varieties



that observed the minimum levels.


Among the ten varieties



studied Coorg Honeydew possessed a remarkably high flesh weight
followed by the variety Pusa Delicious.
0emical analysis revealed that the variety
Washington exhibited a superior position for total sugar



content followed by Pusa Delicious and Coorg Honeydew.


It was



found that the variety Pusa Dwarf occupied a lower level of
reducing sugar followed by the varieties Waimanalo and Pus a
Majesty while the highest content was for the variety



Washington.


The f r u i ts of Coorg Honeydew and Waimanalo were



identified to have the highest non reducing sugar content.
Among the ten varieties analysed fruits of
Washington, Pusa Delicious and Coorg Honeydew recorded the

higher levels of total soluble solid content. Of the varieties
studied Waimanalo was found to have the maximum moisture
content and the minimum level of water content was recorded by



variety Pusa Delicious.


Papaya fruits of Malaysian Long, Pusa



Dwarf and Pusa Giant possessed higher acidity level and showed
-,
a correspondingly lower pH valu~
It was evidenced that, highest vitamin-C level was
observed in the variety Pusa Delicious followed by the
varieties Pusa Majesty, Exotic collection - 100091 and
Washington. The variety Pusa Delicious exhibited a high level
I
of p-carotene followed by the varieties Exotic collection



100060 and Exotic collection - 100091.


Observa t i on on fibre



content of different papaya varieties showed that the two
Exotic varieties were having the minimum fibre level followed
by the varieties Pu s a Majesty, Waimanalo and Pusa Delicious,
while Malaysian Long recorded the maximum fibre content.
Papaya fruits of Pusa Delicious was found superior in pectin
content followed by Malaysian Long, Washington and Coorg
Honeydew.
Analytical data of mineral composition indicated that
fruits of Pu s a Giant, Washington, Exotic collection - 100091



and Waimanalo were high calcium varieties.


Pusa Majesty



recorded maximum sodium content followed by the varieties Coorg



Honeydew and Malaysian Long.


Among the varieties studied both





the Exotic varieties were identified for its higher potassium
level and was closely followed by Washington and Pusa
Delicious. It was found that the variety Pu s a Delicious
possessed a distinguishly high phosphorus content followed by
the Exotic varieties and Washington. Fruits of Exotic
collection - 100091, Pusa Majesty and Washington were composed
of the higher per cent total mineral composition.
Sensory evaluation studies on various quality
param~ters evidenced that the varieties Washington, Pusa Dwarf
and Pusa Majesty carried the best eye appeal. It is clearly
observed that the papaya fruits of Pusa Delicious and
Washington were superior for their flavour profile, so also in
their taste performance along with Coorg Honeydew. The
varieties Pu s a Dwarf, Pu s a Majesty and Washington were more
attractive in colour than the other varieties. Considering the
texture of the fruit Pu s a Delicious, Coorg Honeydew and
Washington were the varieties that were highly preferred.
Sweetness of the varieties Pusa Delicious, Coorg Honeydew and
Washington were highly appreciated than the rest of the
varieties studied.
Based on the chemical organoleptic and the most
important physical characteristic viz, edible portion weight
were s ub je c t e d to discriminant function analysis for the
selection of two superior fruits for product development. The
screened varieties Coorg Honeydew and Pusa Delicious were used

for the development of jelly using different fruit extract
sugar ratios viz. 1:1, 4:3 and 2:1.
Organoleptic evaluation of jelly disclosed that there
was no• significant difference in sensory quality of jelly
between the two varieties Coorg Honeydew and Pusa Delicious.
All the quality parameters except colour maintained remarkably
superior for the jelly sample standardised with equal amount of



extract - sugar ratio (1:1).


The organoleptic qualities of



jelly prepared with 4:3 (P2) ratio remained satisfactory while
the sample with fruit extract sugar ratio 2:1 (P3) could not
form a judicious combination for the formulation of good
quality jelly except for its good performance in colour.
~emical analysis of the jelly revealed that a
varietal variation was observed in jelly samples with respect
to chemical characters like pH, total sugar and reducing sugar



content.


The jelly prepared with an equal amount of extract



and sugar 1: 1 (Pl) remained at a higher level in most of the
chemical attributes, the ratio 4:3 (P2) was found more or less
agreeable in chemical composition, whereas the 2:1 ratio (P3)
presented the comparably lower grade with respect to chemical



parameters tested.


It was observed that pH, total soluble



solids. total sugar and reducing sugar increased with an

increase in the sugar proportion.


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But acidity level decreased



with a rise in the proportion of sugar)
Data on the end point temperature of jelly indicated
that the sample prepared wi th an equal amount of extract and
sugar (1:1) recorded a higher temperature for setting than the
other treatments (4:3 and 2:1).
The jelly developed using 1: 1 proportion of extract
and sugar was positioned well above the PPO specifications.
Proportion 4:3 (P2) could attain an almost satisfactory level
specified by the PPG, whereas the total soluble solid content
of jelly with the proportion 2:1 (P3) remained below the
level specified by the FPO.
The cost of papaya jelly standardised with equal
amount of extract - sugar ratio (1:1) was slightly higher than
the other two combinations. A comparison of the price of jelly
available in the market with the cost of papaya jelly
standardised in this study revealed that the market price was
three fold higher compared to the cost incurred for the
production of papaya jelly in this study.
The study highlighted that screening suitable papaya
varieties for product development not only enhance the quality
of the product but also results in better commercial
utilization of this fruits.