Avocado oil content varies significantly during maturation, complicating harvest timing due to the lack of external indicators. Current oil content measurements rely on destructive methods that are time-consuming, costly, and require toxic solvents. This study explores fluorescence properties of avocado skin wax as a non-destructive maturity indicator. Using excitation-emission matrix (EEM) analysis, two fluorescence peaks associated with phenolic compounds were identified, both decreasing in intensity as the fruit matured. A strong negative correlation (
r = −0.86) was observed between fluorescence intensity and oil content. These findings suggest that UV-excited surface fluorescence could enable rapid, non-invasive oil content estimation, paving the way for fluorescence-based imaging systems to enhance harvest management in avocado production.
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