Abstract
This paper reports the latest findings in a series of studies on the frequency and distribution of the main mineral components and ascorbic acid contained in the fruits of Guava cultivated in Kochi prefecture since 1980. The chemical analysis of components in Guava fruits show normal distributions for calcium, phophorus, potassium, magnesium and water, while the distribution for iron, sodium and ascorbic acid were logarithm-normal. The mineral components in Guava fruits are profusely abundant in the core, while ascorbic acid is more abundant in the peel than in the pulp, with the least amount being found in the core. Guava fruits contains a relatively high amount of ascorbic acid. The pink, white and yellow cultivars grown in Kochi Prefecture were found to contain about 250,300 and > 650mg respectively of ascorbic acid per 100g. The ascorbic acid in Guava juice showed high stability under temperature change, and despite heat treatment at 90℃ for 40 minutes, surprisingly about 90% remained.
