Physicochemical, Biochemical and organoleptic analysis of pineapple cultivars MD2 and MORRIS

According to Malaysian Pineapple Industry Board (MPIB), pineapple industry is one of the important agricultural sectors in Malaysia thus plays a role in national earnings as one of the world top pineapple suppliers. In Malaysia, pineapple cultivars include Maspine, Morris, Morris Gajah, Gandul, Sarawak, Josapine, N36, Yankee and MD2. Each cultivar has its own physical and phytochemical uniqueness. Before 'MD2' was introduced, 'Morris' was one of the popular cultivars for fresh consumption. This study was geared toward comparing physicochemical, biochemical and organoleptic evaluations of two commercial pineapple cultivars 'MD2' and 'Morris'. Six fruits of each cultivars were purchased at commercial maturity stage which is about 20-40% yellowing of fruit peel and flesh of fruits were used for evaluations. Results of physicochemical analysis showed that 'MD2' is the sweeter and less astringent variety compared to 'Morris' and the same was also observed biochemically where antioxidant capacity, protein content and bromelain enzymatic activity were higher in 'MD2'. For organic acids, 'MD2' had a slightly lower content of oxalic and malic than 'Morris'. Sensory analysis had also supported 'MD2' as the most preferred among the two cultivars where all the attributes such as aroma, flavor, sweetness, off-taste, texture and overall preference scored higher compared to 'Morris'. As a conclusion, 'MD2' compares very well against 'Morris', hence its cultivation in Malaysia for potential local and international market should be encouraged not only due to their higher consumers' preference but nutritional benefits. All the mean differences observed between the cultivars were statistically significant except for protein content and organic acids quantification