Abstract:
Spondias mombin is a seasonal tropical fruit with an exotic taste, medicinal and economic
benefits yet suffers great post-harvest losses. Value addition is anticipated to forestall postharvest
losses and improve utilization and boost the economic potential of the fruit. The study
investigated the physicochemical and antioxidant properties of the fruit at different ripening
stages and the characteristics of the jam produced from the fruits. The in-vitro antioxidant
activities of the fruit such as the total phenolics content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC),
ferric reducing antioxidant Power (FRAP), 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2, 2-azinobis-
3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS), and Fe-chelating, the ascorbic acid as well as
carotenoids content were determined. Overall, significant differences were observed at the three
ripening stages of the fruits. The fruit pulp with peel exhibited decreased level of FRAP, DPPH,
TFC, Fe-chelating and vitamin C as ripening progressed while the values obtained for pH, brix
and flavonoid increased with ripening stages. The mineral content of the fruits is not consistent
with ripening stages. However, appreciable magnesium, calcium and potassium were recorded
at the three ripening stages. The physicochemical and sensory properties of the two jam
formulations were evaluated and the results showed that the jams prepared from S. mombin fruit
pulp were of good physicochemical characteristics with higher consumer acceptability. This
result demonstrated the high quality of S. mombin fruits and can be a source of dietary fibre as
well as serve as natural antioxidants. Moreover, acceptable jam can be produced from the fruits hence reducing their annual wastage
