Archives of Current Research International

Sapota (Manilkara achras), particularly the ‘Cricket Ball’ cultivar, is a tropical fruit valued for its sweetness and nutritional profile but suffers from rapid post-harvest deterioration. This study investigated the physical, textural, and physicochemical properties of freshly harvested fruits to better understand quality changes during storage. Fifty fruits were evaluated for physical attributes, including average length (49.37 mm), width (47.00 mm), thickness (45.98 mm), mass (62.68 g), and sphericity (0.96), with bulk density of 444.29 kg/m³, true density of 925.60 kg/m³, and porosity of 52%. Mechanical testing indicated progressive softening, with puncture force declining from 5.69 N on day 0 to 3.03 N by day 4, and compression force reducing from 64.98 N to 32.30 N. Shear stress force similarly decreased from 25.42 N to 7.68 N, accompanied by higher coefficients of variation, indicating greater textural heterogeneity. Physiological loss in weight (PLW) increased substantially, while spoilage advanced from edible condition to senescence by day 4. Biochemical analysis revealed rising avarage pH (4.90 to 6.74), declining ascorbic acid (5.25 to 3.65 mg/100 g) and titratable acidity (0.28% to 0.23%), and consistent increases in total sugars (45.44% to 52.50%), reducing sugars (8.40% to 11.84%), and non-reducing sugars (33.68% to 39.45%). The pulp-to-peel ratio increased over storage, indicating relative deterioration, whereas the pulp-to-seed ratio ranges from 18.31 to 17.83. These integrated physicochemical and mechanical changes highlight accelerated ripening, structural degradation, and nutritional losses within four days, providing critical insights for optimizing harvest maturity, storage, and processing strategies for sapota fruits.