TOTAL WAX AND N-ALKANE PROFILES FROM FRUIT AND LEAF WAXES OF MALPIGHIA GLABRA L.

Abstract- (Total wax and p/alkane profi les from fruit and leaf waxes of Ocnrkijkc"incdtc"L.)- Ocnrkijkc"incdtc"L., popularly known as “acerola ” or Barbados cherry, is an economically important species due the high levels of ascorbic acid (vitamin C) in its fruits. Cuticular wax affects post-harvest storage. Nevertheless, no data are available for wax composition on this species. Crude wax amount and p-alkane profi les have been evaluated for three distinct genotypes of acerola. The total amount of wax ranged from 11 μg.cm-2 to 24 μg.cm-2 on leaves and 10 μg.cm-2 to 30 μg.cm-2 on fruits. Two of the three genotypes presented statistically distinct totals for leaf and fruit-wax. Type A (yellow epicarp) presented the highest amounts of crude wax on both leaves and fruits. p/Alkanes ranged from C18 to C34 in fruits, with p/pentacosane (C25) as the main homologue of most individuals. Narrower p/alkane distribution was found in cuticular foliar wax, with C22-C33, with p/ hentriacontane (C31) as the major component of most individuals. The environmental and economical aspects related to total wax amounts and p/alkane profi les are discussed herein. Resumo- (Cera total e perfi l dos p-alcanos de frutos e folhas de Ocnrkijkc"incdtc"L.)- Ocnrkijkc"incdtc"L., conhecida popularmente como acerola, é uma espécie economicamente importante devido ao elevado nível de ácido ascórbico (vitamina C) em seus frutos. A cera cuticular afeta o armazenamento do fruto pós-colheita. No entanto, não há dados disponíveis sobre a composição das ceras nessa espécie. Teor d