ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES OF GARUT CITRUS FRUITS AT LOW ALTERNATING CURRENT SIGNAL AND ITS CORRELATION WITH PHYSICOCHEMICAL PROPERTIES DURING MATURATION

In this research, local citrus fruits, namely Garut citrus, were analyzed for electrical properties related to physicochemical properties. Electrical measurement on fruit was done by using low alternating current with a frequency varying from 50 Hz to 1 MHz. The fruits are placed between two plate electrodes and treated as dielectric material. Electrical parameters per unit of weight were used in this study to compensate variations in weight. Electrical impedance, resistance, and reactance per weight of citrus fruits will decrease if the frequency is increased. Electrical circuit models have been constructed to describe the internal conditions of citrus fruits. To indicate the fruit maturity, the physicochemical properties were used, i.e., firmness, total soluble solids, pH, and hydrogen ion concentration. The value of resistance, impedance, and reactance per weight declined during citrus fruits maturation. The correlations between electrical and physicochemical properties are investigated too. The highest consistency of correlations happens at a frequency of 1 MHz. Based on the model of an electrical circuit, the highest value of electrical resistance is outer shell and the lowest is seed. And then, the highest value of electrical capacitance is albedo and the lowest is segment. Resistance values of the parts of citrus fruits, i.e., seed, segment, segment wall, and outer shell, were decreased during maturation. While capacitance value of segment, albedo, and flavedo were increased.