Physicochemical properties of two varieties of rambutan (Nephelium lappaceum L.) fruit

Rambutan (Nephelium lappaceum L.) is an exotic fruit which is native of Southeast Asia. It is normally consumed fresh, canned or processed. Although many rambutan varieties or clones have been registered, the physicochemical properties of their fruit pulp, especially the underutilized wild types remained unknown. It is important to study the characteristics of the fruit prior transforming it into various products. Hence, this study was carried out to determine the physicochemical properties of fruit pulp from a registered clone (R7) of rambutan and a wild type rambutan. Results showed that Clone R7 comprised 58.4±2.4 % peel, 22.5±2.1 % pulp and 19.1±3.2 % seed while the wild type was made up of 55.4±3.4 % peel, 27.5±1.3 % pulp and 17.1±3.1 % seed. The pulp-to-seed ratio of the wild type (5:3) variety was significantly (p