ANALYSIS OF FRUIT COLOR FROM BAG-MACAÚBA ACCESSIONS USING QUANTITATIVE COLORIMÉTRY

The color of macaúba fruits, especially the pulp, is not only a visual feature, but also an indicator of its properties and potential for different uses in industry and cosmetics. The objective of this study was to evaluate the color of the peel and pulp of fruits from the macaúba germplasm bank by digital colorimetry. The ripe fruits were collected at the BAG-Macaúba located at the IDR-Paraná Experimental Station in Paranavaí, PR. The BAG-Macaúba has 16 accessions that are arranged in the field with a randomized block design with three replications and a plot consisting of two plants. In the laboratory, a sample of 15 fruits per plant evaluated the color parameters of the peel (epicarp) and pulp (mesocarp) using the colorimeter of the CR-400 model, from the Konica Minolta brand, in the CieLab color system, obtaining the readings of L* (luminosity or clarity, varies from white L=100 to black L=0), a* (transition from green color –a* to red +a*) and b* (transition from blue color –b* to yellow color +b*). The data were submitted to analysis of variance and Scott and Knott's (5%) mean clustering test. No significant difference was observed by the F test between the accessions for the color parameters L, a* and b* evaluated in the peel and the parameter b* in the pulp. In the evaluation with the naked eye, it is difficult to differentiate the colorations of the peel between the accessions. In the pulp, the L and a* parameters were significant at 1% probability, in which the L ranged from 63 to 84; and a* ranged from -3.13 to 20.01, these values can be perceived with the naked eye, in which the variations of shades of yellow to the most intense orange are perceived