Lipid Composition and Fatty Acid Profile of Guava Fruit as Affected by Maturity Stage and Harvesting Season

Guava fruits (Psidium guajava L.) var. ‘Hisar Surkha’ of different maturity stages (immature green, mature green, ripe, and over-ripe) and harvesting seasons (summer and winter) were studied for lipid composition and fatty acid profile. The total lipids increased from the immature green to the ripe stage and declined after the over-ripe stage during both seasons. However, the fruits harvested during the winter season maintained higher total lipids (51.81%), polar lipids (14.90%), phospholipids (16.94%), and glycolipids (12.46%) at all stages of ripening as compared to those of summer fruits. The amount of saturated fatty acid increased continuously, while the amount of unsaturated fatty acids decreased from the immature green to the over-ripe stage during the summer and winter seasons. The ratio of unsaturated to saturated fatty acids of total lipids continuously decreased during ripening. It was higher in fruits harvested in the winter season at all the ripening stages than those of the summer season. Lipoxygenase enzyme activity increased gradually from the immature green to the over-ripe stage during both the summer and winter seasons. However, fruits harvested in the summer season showed a more noticeable increase at all ripening stages as compared to the winter season.