PHYSICO-CHEMICAL PARAMETERS OF EGGPLANTS (SOLANUM AETHIOPICUM L.) ACCORDING TO CONSERVATION TECHNIQUES

Abstract

In Côte d’Ivoire it is difficult to keep vegetables and fruits, especially eggplant, and this is due to a lack of proper storage techniques. The few processes used are expensive and inaccessible to most of the population. The purpose of this study is to determine appropriate eggplant conservation techniques. The aim is to determine some of the physico-chemical parameters including dry matter, oil content, protein and sugar content at different types of conservation (respective immersion in vinegar, kitchen salt and wood ash). Open air storage was used as a control. Analyzes were performed weekly during ten (10) weeks of storage. The results showed that the dry matter content reached the maximum values of 8.45% to 17.43% in saline preservation and 8.45% to 16.56% in ambient, the highest sugar content was observed in vinegar-based preservatives, 4.16, 4.33 and 4.66% in sugars total, and at the level of reducing sugars the highest levels are observed at the level of conservation with ash for a value of 3,90%. The highest protein concentrations were observed in vinegar 2.33% and ash 2.55%. However, the highest level of oil is observed in ash conservation 0.61% to twenty-four (24) days of preservation, the ash method also reveals the highest levels of minerals throughout conservation. The results therefore indicate that vinegar and ash conservation at the method level is positively different from that of the ambient environment and salt.