Nutritional and Volatile Fingerprint Characteristics of an Amazon Fruit: Ficus subapiculata

Ficus subapiculata is distributed throughout the Amazon region, although its potential for commercial fruit production has not yet been explored. We describe here the chemical and nutritional composition of F. subapiculata fruits and some aspects of the postharvest maturation. The fruits are low in calories (69.83 kcal), have moderate carbohydrate content (15.1 g/100 g), and a high moisture content (82.15 g/100 g), with physicochemical properties and an organic acid profile that classify them as acidic. After 72 hours of observation at room temperature, fresh fruits exhibited signs of deterioration, such as color changes and weight due to senescence, making them unsuitable for consumption. Forty-five volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were identified in the fresh fruits through headspace analysis, most belonging to the terpenoid class of aromatic notes. Over 96 hours of observation, the fruits showed variations in their volatile compound profiles and a significant decrease in total VOCs content. The compounds that bound most strongly to the olfactory receptor in a docking study, such as germacrene D, also had the strongest odorcausing effects. The results suggest that the ability of aromatic notes to influence the olfactory perception of fruit is related to how well they fit and interact with the OR1G1 target protein. Finally, the chemical constituents and nutritional composition of F. subapiculata fruits were determined, and their 96 h of observation period at room temperature was evaluated. These findings provided important information for a better understanding of the nutritional potential and properties of this fruit.