The interest for melon culture in Brazil has increased in the last years, due to growing exportations and increment for the internal market consumption. The aim of this work was to evaluate the physical and chemical characteristics of five melon types (Cucumis melo L.), produced under protected system, in the municipal district of Centenário do Sul - PR. The types studied were Valenciano ('Amarelo Ouro'), Caipira ('Gaúcho Caipira'), Net Melon ('Net Galia'), Orange ('Orange Melon') e Pele de Sapo ('Filipo'), with five repetitions, in a completely randomized design. The Valenciano and Pele de Sapo stood out in weight terms, with values of 2.02 and 2.07 kg, respectively, and elongated formats; while the others types showed round formats and weight around 1.4 kg. The Pele de Sapo showed pulp thickness of 43.36 mm, statistically higher than Valenciano, 38.98 mm. The smallest pulp thickness, 24.78 mm, and the largest thickness of the peel, 9.74 mm, had been found in the Caipira and it is statistically differed from other types. The pH values had not shown statistically differences among themselves, ranging between 6.24 and 6.48. The Net Melon showed pulp with 12.3ºBrix, and statistically differed from the Orange, Valenciano and Pele de Sapo with levels of 11.12, 10.34 and 9.94ºBrix, respectively. The Caipira reached 5.06ºBrix and also the smallest acidity, 0.10g citric acid per 100g of juice, which would not turned out for its commercialization. The pectin methyl esterase pulp activity in the fruits was very low, inferior of 0,005 PEu x 10(4) mL-1, in the five evaluated types. In the north of the state of Paraná (Paranapanema Valle), under protect system conditions, the melons types: Net Melon, Orange, Valenciano and Pele de Sapo showed good physical and chemical characteristics, standing out the Net Melon for its total soluble solids over 12ºBrix.
Cucumis melo; pulp thickness; soluble solids; pectin methyl esterase
