Chemical changes during growth and development of Asai (Euterpe precatoria) in Guaviare, Colombia

Asai fruits with successive stages of maturation and two contrasting ecological environments, floodplains and terra firme, were analyzed to determine their physiological behavior and evolution of physiologically active compounds using functional impact potential, anthocyanins and total polyphenols. Five (5) successive stages of maturation are seen in asaí, during which the respiratory behavior of fruits is climacteric, with a higher respiratory intensity in fruits from floodplains, along with much lower total anthocyanin and polyphenol contents. It could be assumed that fruits harvested from floodplains are more perishable because of their high respiratory activity and lower content of phytotherapeutic compounds, which result from the stress these plants experience under flood conditions.