Author(s): S Smitha, D Yogi, HS Vageeshbabu, M Manamohan, KR Sudhakar and Rekha A

Abstract: Papaya is a important tropical crop because of tasty flavor, fruit pulp content, its nutritional value and antioxidant properties but needs improvement in resistance to virus, shelf life and fruit quality. Papaya seeds were treated with various doses of gamma radiation to study the mutational influence on the shelf life and fruit quality. The highest reducing sugars were recorded in R₁₀P₂₀ (3.40%), R₁₅P₁₉ (3.95%) and R₁₈P₁₉ (3.00%), R₃P₁₉ (3.85%) and R₁P₁₃ (3.90%) whereas lowest reducing sugars were observed in R₁₆P₁₈ (3.80%) and R₁₇P₁₈ (3.30%). In M₄ selected mutant lines, the highest reducing sugars were recorded in R₆P₃ (4.15%) and R₁₇P₄ (3.50%), whereas the lowest reducing sugars recorded in R₇P₂ (4.50%). The highest total sugars were recorded in R₁₀P₂₀ (9.11%), whereas lowest total sugars was observed in R₁₆P₁₈ and R₁₇P₁₈ (4.68%). In M₂ selected mutant lines, the highest total sugars was observed R₂P₉ (12.03%), R₂₀P₁₀ (10.79%) and R₁P₇ (10.30%) whereas, the lowest total sugars% was recorded in R₁₉P₁₂ (6.31%) and R₁₉P₂₁ (6.5%). In M₄ selected mutant lines, the highest total sugars% was observed in R₁₈P₅ (11.83%), R₁₄P₁₀ (11.30%) R₁₁P₅ (10.19) whereas the lowest total sugar percent was recorded in R₆P₃ (5.98%) and R₇P₂ (6.20%). The highest titratable acidity were recorded in R₁₈P₁₉ (0.42%), R₄P₁₇ (0.77%), R₁P₁₃ (0.81%), R₁₉P₂₁ (0.61%), R₁₄P₁₀ (1.77%) and R₁₇P₄ (0.74%), whereas the lowest titratable acidity content was recorded in R₁₇P₁₄ (0.16%) and control with 0.17%. the highest ascorbic acid were recorded in R₁₄P₁₉ (59.99 mg/100 g), R₁₄P₁₅ and R₁₃P₁₉ (54.99 mg/100 g) and lowest ascorbic acid content was observed in R₁₁P₁₉ and R₁₅P₁₉ (26.66 mg/100 g). These mutant lines were selected and forwarded to next generation for future mutational studies.

DOI: 10.33545/26174693.2024.v8.i2i.661