ABSTRACT
This study intended to evaluate the physical and chemical properties of two sapota fruit cultivars namely: sapodilla (Manilkara zapota) and white sapote (Casimiroa edulis). The investigation also, included and assessment products created from these fruits like sapodilla compote and irradiated dried rolls made from white sapota besides, puree made from white sapota and guava and stored for 12 weeks in polyethylene bags at ambient temperature (28±2˚C), microbiological tests were conducted every 3, 6, 9, and 12 weeks during the storage period. The physico-chemical properties of moisture, protein, crude fiber, ash, fat, total carbohydrates, total acidity, total soluble solid contents, T.S.S., vitamin C, vitamin A, total sugars, reducing sugars and non-reducing sugars, and mineral contents of white sapote fruits and sapodilla fruits were determined. Meanwhile, the results recorded for total antioxidant activity (TA) of 88.01%, total phenolics (TP) of 46.73 mg/100g, and total flavonoids of (TF) 22.33 mg/100g, respectively, for sapota fruit, and 77.34%, 40.28 mg/100g, and 20.66 mg/100g, respectively, for sapodilla fruit. Physicochemical properties non-significant effects of gamma rays on sapota rolls. While sensory evaluation showed a slight decrease in color score when treated with radiation for sapota rolls, while the irradiated sapota rolls there were decreases in vitamin C and vitamin A it was 2.6 and 4.25 mg/100g for un-irradiated rolls and 1.97 and 3.88 mg/100 g for irradiated rolls respectively. On the other hand, total antioxidant activity increased from 80.21% for the un-irradiated rolls to 91.64% for the irradiated rolls by 2 kGy; total phenol content (TPC) was 40.29 mg/100g for the un-irradiated rolls, while the irradiated rolls were 58.78 mg/100 g; and total flavonoid content (TFC) was 21.85 mg/100 g for the un-irradiated rolls and 45.98 g for the irradiated rolls. Moreover, the gamma rays measured a 2 kGy showed decrease in the total bacterial count and total mold and yeast of sapota rolls, which also increased the shelf-life of sapota rolls.