Identification of Pawpaw Genotypes With High Fruit Antioxidant Activity

The imminent decline in the U.S. tobacco industry makes it necessary for small family fanners in Kentucky and the southeastern U.S. to adjust to tobacco's shrinking economic role. Kentucky State University ha.s a comprehensive research program focused on developing the pawpaw [As imina triloba (L.) Dunal] into as a highvalue commercial tree-fruit crop with great potential as a short-term supplement or a long-term alternative to tobacco. Health promoting effects of fruits a.nd vegetables are a.ttributed to the antioxidants in fruits. The overall goal of this project is to identify pawpaw genotypes with high fruit antioxidant capacity. Such information will be valuable to the development of quality pawpaw cultivars, which are more likely to be welcomed by a growing population of health-conscientious consumers. Spe~ificaIly, we will detennine the antioxidant capacity of fruits from at leat 50 genotypes in the germplasm repository, study the relationship between antioxidant capacity and storage stability of pawpaw fruits and identify the compounds primarily responsible for antioxidant capacity. The proposed project will build on our previous work to strengthen the research theme on pawpaw research. Our research capacity will be strengthened by partnerships developed with scientists from USDA, University of Kentucky and private industries, and by the intemallinkages formed between the Nutriton/Food Science and Horticulture Research program within At Kentucky State University. This project will also improve our research capacity by adding state-of-the-art research equipment, including a coulAITay detector and a fluorescence plate reader. The establishment of a strong research theme and the improvement in our research equipment will strengthen our capabiJities to compete for future funding and to attract outstanding students and professionals from the underrepresented groups of our population. This project will also provide opportunities to mentor and train students in nutrition and other disciplines of agricultural sciences by involving them in various aspects of the project. Project results will be disseminated to the scientific community and the general public via KSU's pawpaw website, journal articles, and USDA Germplasm Resource Information Network database. .