Pitahaya aging diagnostic by impedance/capacitance spectroscopy

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Impedimetric/capacitive analyses were used as a non-destructive analytical tool for the determination of yellow pitahaya (Selenicereus megalanthus Haw.) aging. Pitahaya is an exotic fruit of increasing commercial importance, in which sensing the level of maturation plays a major role. The impedimetric analysis of the fruit's normal deterioration was performed with a homemade probe with two needle silver electrodes. The most sensitive changes on the impedance/capacitance spectra were found at a low-frequency region, where it was possible to build a linear analytical curve between the instrumental response and the aging time.