Pawpaw fruit (asimina triloba (l.) dunal). processing and nutraceutical value

Asimina triloba (L.) Dunal, or pawpaw, is the only temperate plant species that belongs to the Annonaceae family. Is a native North American fruit species from Florida to South Canada. In Romania, the first pawpaw plants were brought in Transylvania from North America at the beginning of the 20th Century, in 1926 by Suciu family from Alba County. They were locally cultivated and remained unknown in the rest of country. Only after 2000, have begun to be studied at the Faculty of Horticulture, in Bucharest. Regarding nutritional value, asimina is comparable to apple, banana, orange, peach and grape since it is high nutritionally rich fruit with high levels of minerals, vitamins and antioxidant compounds. The color of the fruit changes from white-cream at bright yellow to shades of orange. The flavor of ripe pawpaw fruit resembles a combination of banana, mango and pineapple. Pawpaw fruit are best eaten fresh when fully ripe but the intense tropical flavor may be useful for preparation of food products such as: ice cream, smoothie, candy, juices, cakes and others.