Determination of nutritional and physical properties of myrtle (Myrtus communis L.) fruits growing wild in Turkey

In this study, some nutritional and physical properties of myrtle fruits (Myrtus communis L.) growing wild in Mersin region were determined. Nutritional properties such as protein, oil, fibre, reducing sugar, tannin, ash and water-soluble extract and physical properties such as dimensions, weight, thickness, geometric mean diameter, sphericity, bulk density, porosity, projected area, 100 fruit weight, terminal velocity and the rupture strength of myrtle fruits used in the experiment were established. The crude oil, crude protein, crude fibre, crude energy, reducing sugar, tannin, ash, water-soluble extract and essential oil values of fruit were determined as 2.37%, 4.17%, 17.41%, 11.21 kcal/g, 8.64%, 76.11 mg/100 g, 0.725%, 52.94% and 0.01%, respectively. Some physical properties of myrtle fruits were evaluated as functions of moisture content. The average length, width, thickness, the geometric mean diameter of myrtle fruits were 13.75 mm, 8.11 mm, 7.57 mm, 10.53 mm at a moisture content of 8.32% d.b., respectively. © 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.