Êste trabalho faz parte do estudo do melhoramento genético das mirtáceas frutíferas, que vem sendo realizado pela Seção de Frutas Tropicais do Instituto Agronômiso e pela Seção de Genética da Escola Superior de Agricultura "Luiz de Queiroz", em Piracicaba. Colaboraram na parte analítica a Seção Técnica "Química Agrícola" e a Cadeira de Química, da "Luiz de Queiroz''. A extração de vitamina C foi feita num liqüidificador durante dois minutos, utilizando-se o ácido oxálico a quatro por mil como solução protetora. A determinação se fez no "EEL. portable colorimeter". A determinação do conteúdo de vitamina C no fruto integral de plantas expostas ao pleno sol revelou o seguinte : planta 1, 2147 mg/100 g ; planta 2, 2389 mg/100 g ; planta 3, 2322 mg/100 g de fruto (vêr figura 1-A). Os teores de ácido ascórbico encontrados nos graus de maturação foram : fruto verde, 2716 mg/100 g ; fruto de vez, 2391 mg/100 g; fruto maduro, 2417 mg/100 g. O fruto verde tem o teor mais alto, enquanto o de vez e o maduro não diferem entre si. Também foram analisadas as diversas partes do fruto maduro, encontrando-se na casca 2482 mg/100 g e na polpa 3018 mg/100 g. Isto quer dizer que na "cabeludinha" a riqueza em ácido ascórbico aumenta da periferia para o centro. Tal fato é de suma importância, uma vez que só é aproveitada a polpa, portanto, a parte mais rica do fruto. Determinou-se também o conteúdo de vitamina C no fruto integral e maduro, de plantas sombreadas, encontrando-se na planta 1, 717, 28 mg/100 g; na planta 2, 838,66 mg/100 g ; na planta 3, 560,83 mg/100 g ; na planta 4, 713, 28 mg/100 g. Êstes resultados indicam, provavelmente, que as plantas localizadas à sombra são bem mais pobres em ácido ascórbico que aquelas crescendo ao sol; indicam ainda, que entre as plantas sombreadas há diferenças significativas, talvez de origem genética. As figuras dos gráficos 3 e 4 mostram, respectivamente, que a "cabeludinha" é a fonte mais rica de vitamina C entre as mirtáceas nacionais e de tôdas as frutas brasileiras. Comparando-se a "cabeludinha" com outras frutas exóticas, ricas em ácido ascórbico, nota-se que somente a cereja das Antilhas (Malpighia spp.) lhe leva vantagem.

The studies on the vitamin C content in fruits of Myrciaria glomerata Berg, reported in this paper were complementary to the breeding work on fruit plantas of Myrtacex, carried out cooperatively by the Seção de Frutas Tropicais, Instituto Agronômico, Campinas, and Seção de Genética, E.S.A. "Luiz de Queiroz", Piracicaba. The ascorbic acid content was determined in the blend obtained by running the pitted fruits in a blendor for 2 minutes in presence of a 0.4 per cent oxalic acid protecting solution. The quantitative determinations were made with an EEL portable colorimeter. The total vitamin C content in fresh fruits from trees exposed to full sunlight were as follows (in mg/100 g) : tree n.° 1, 2,417 ; tree n.° 2, 2,389 ; tree n.° 3, 2,322. Assays made with fruits at different stages of maturity gave the following results : green fruits, 2,716 ; full developed fruits, 2,391 ; ripe fruits, 2,417. Green fruits had thus a higher vitamin C content than either partially or completely ripe fruits ; the difference between the last two types was not significant. Different parts of the fruit that were assayed separately had the following vitamin C content (mg/100 g) : peel, 2,482 ; pulp (without seed), 3,018. The pulp which is the edible part of the fruit is thus richer than the peel. Vitamin C determinations in ripe fresh fruits from four shaded trees gave the following results (mg/100 g) : tree n.° 1, 717.28 ; tree n.° 2, 838.66 ; tree n.° 3, 560.83 ; tree n.° 4, 713.38. Fruits produced on shaded trees are therefore poorer in ascorbic acid than those from trees exposed to full sunlight. The variations between trees in the shaded group may be ascribed to genetic origin. Myrciaria glomerata fruits have the highest vitamin C content found among edibln fruits of Myrtacex (see table 3) ; it is also one of the tropical fruits richest in this vitamin, ranking third to the cynorrodum of will roses and fruits of Malpighia spp.

In the present paper the authors deal with the content of ascorbic acid in guavas (Psidium guajava L.) and the methods of sampling used. Ascorbic acid was determined directly in the photoeletric colorimeter (EEL), after extraction with a 4 per cent solution of oxalic acid. Guavas from various parts of State of S.Paulo were used and the general mean found was around 100 mgm of ascorbic acid per 100 gm fresh weight of the material used for extraction. It was found that there is great variation in the ascorbic acid content according to the condition of the fruit: Ascorbic acid Condition content in Mean mgm/100 gm Green and hard 93,36 - 119,54 102,43 Small green 57,34 - 92,30 83,40 Firm ripe 71,28 - 115,98 90,32 Overripe 63,22 - 85,98 77,36 Of the diferent parts of the fruit, the skin has the highest content; the pulp between the skin and the parts containing the seeds, the "inner pulp" contains little and finallw the central parts, formed by the pulp between seeds, the "inter pulp" a engligible amount. The proportion of ascorbic acid found in the skin, inner pulp and inter pulp may be as high as 1.6: 1: 0. Furthermore, the section near the peduncule and the sepals are richer than equatorial crossections. It was proved that the amount and intensity of sun-light is at least one important factant factor determining differences in the ascorbic acid content of the fruit, which is higer in the parts which have received more light. A sharp decrease was found in the vitamin C content of ripe fruite stored in a home refrigerator. The periods of the preservation were 12-24-48-96 hours and the decrease of the ascorbic acid content m per cent was 23.4 - 42.0 - 66.8 - 76.4 of the initial content of 144.28 mgm/100 gm. The following five different methods of sampling in the determination of the amount of vitamin C were tested, with extraction in a Waring blendor: 1) whole fruit; 2,) sample taken form fruits cut into many small pieces; 3) half of a fruit divided by a crossection at equal distance from both ends; 4) half of fruit divided lenghtwise; 5) a transversal slice of about 1 cm. It was found that the two first methods geve the most reliable results.