Antônio Augusto Oliveira Fonseca

Caracterização e qualidade de frutos de umbu-cajá (Spondias tuberosa X S. mombin) provenientes do Recôncavo Sul da Bahia

The Southern Reconcavo in Bahia has a significant wealth of native plants with high nutritional potential. Besides ethnological indicative of their uses as food, little is known about them, especially on their chemical composition. As examples of these plants, it can be found fruits of (Spondias tuberosa X S. mombin) that are widely consumed fresh or as processed products all over Brazil. Due to the increasing pro acceptance of its products and the continuing search for new flavors, agro-industries have attracted the interest for both the domestic market and exportation. However, despite the strong commercial interest, few studies have been conducted in search for answers about its composition. Thus, this work aimed to make the physical, physical-chemical and mineralogical composition of unripe fruits of umbu-caja grown in the climatic conditions of the southern Reconcavo in Bahia. Analysis were performed of fruit and bark weight; size and diameter; percentage of bark, seeds and pulp; pH; soluble solids; acidity; soluble solid relationship acidity (ratio); the technology index; sugars (reducing and non reducing and total); vitamin C; protein; moisture; lipids; crude fiber; starch; and minerals (phosphorus, iron, calcium, sodium and potassium). The fruits have large size (23,18g), with considerable pulp yield (69,70 %), reasonable values of sugars (7,49 %), total acidity (1,32 %), fiber (1,36 %), vitamin C (8 mg /100g) and minerals ( Na-40 mg /100g; K-44mg /100g; P-17,76mg /100g; Fe-0,59mg /100g; and Ca-12,25mg /100g), proving to be an alternative to the market of fresh fruits and for agribusiness in the region.

Physicochemical characteristics and sensory profile of honey samples from stingless bees (Apidae: Meliponinae) submitted to a dehumidification process

This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of a dehumidification process on the physicochemical and sensory characteristics of stingless-bee honey. Melipona scutellaris and M. quadrifasciata honey samples were submitted to a dehumidification process and to physicochemical (reducing sugars, apparent sucrose, moisture, diastatic activity, hydroxymethylfurfural, ash, pH, acidity, and electric conductivity) and sensory evaluations (fluidity, color, aroma, crystallization,flavor,and acceptability). The results indicated that the dehumidification process does not interfere with honey quality and acceptability.

Caracterização química de frutos de jenipapeiros nativos do Recôncavo Baiano visando ao consumo natural e industrialização

The objective of the present work was to identify the variability in the chemical constituents of jenipapo fruit with economic potential for the Reconcavo Baiano Region. One-hundred jenipapo fruit trees, distributed in six counties of the Reconcavo Baiano Region region, were identified and 10 fruit per plant were collected for the chemical analyses. The variables studied were: pH, soluble solids (SS), ascorbic acid content (AA), titrable acidity (TEA), soluble solids and titrable acidity ratio (SS/TEA), reducing sugars (RS), non-reducing sugars (NRS) and total sugars (TS). Descriptive analysis and the Pearson correlation coefficient were used in order to interpret the data. The fruit analysis in the 2004/2005 harvest period presented average values equal to 3.44 and 3.39 for pH; 1.40 and 1.42 for TEA; 17.18 oBrix and 16.81 oBrix for SS; 2.76 mg 100g-1 and 2.65 mg 100g-1 for ascorbic acid; 9.26% and 8.95% for RG; 3.39% and 3.31% for NRG; 12.61% and 12.28% for TG; 12.37 and 12.00 for SS/TEA. The results concluded that there is variability for the characteristics analyzed, enabling the economic exploration of the fruits for in natura consumption as well as industrialization, and the genotypes JP 12, JP 39, JP 41, JP 59, JP 73, JP 79, JP 80, JP 83, JP 89, JP 90, and JP 99, can be recommended to the agro-ecological conditions of the Reconcavo Baiano region.

Perfil sensorial e aceitabilidade de méis de abelhas sem ferrão submetidos a processos de conservação

The present work was conducted to evaluate the sensorial profile and the acceptability of the honey of stingless bees submitted to two conservation processes seeking to obtain longer shelf life. The samples of Melipona scutellaris and M. quadrifasciata honey were collected in the State of Bahia, Brazil, between December 2005 and January 2006. The samples were first submitted to pasteurization and dehumidification processes and then to sensorial evaluation. The sensorial profile was determined in the Laboratory of Entomology in the Center for Agrarian, Biological, and Environmental Sciences of the Federal University of Reconcavo Bahiano, in Cruz das Almas, in the state of Bahia. The analyzed attributes were: fluidity, color, scent, crystallization, flavour, and acceptability. The results show that the conservation processes used do not interfere with the sensorial profile and the product acceptability.

Infestação natural de Anastrepha spp. (Diptera: Tephritidae) em umbu-cajá no Município de Cruz das Almas, Recôncavo Baiano

The objective of this work was to quantify the natural infestation, pupal survival and fruit fly species associated to fruits of Spondias sp. in the Reconcavo Baiano, State of Bahia, Brazil. From March to July, 2002, 49 samples of fruits were collected with the total of 4,095 fruits and a biomass of 74.4kg. About 30,579 fruit fly puparia were obtained from which 37.4% yielded adults. Anastrepha obliqua (Macquart) (99.6%) was the dominant species, followed by A. fraterculus (Wied.) (0.24%) and A. sororcula Zucchi (0.17%). The infestation index was 410,7 pupae for kilogram of fruits and 7.5 pupae per fruit.

Interferência do acido ascórbico na determinação de açúcares redutores pelo método de Lane e Eynon

Two studies, both set up as completely randomized design, in a 5x5 and 7x5 factorial schemes, evaluated the interference of 5 and 7 ascorbic acid concentrations and 5 glucose or 5 sucrose concentrations, respectively, on the determination of total and reducing sugars by Lane and Eynon method. The ascorbic acid reducing power (AARP) over the Fehling liquor interfered in the results of total and reducing sugars. On average the AARP was equivalent to 74.83 and 69.71% of the reducing power of glucose and of hydrolyzed sucrose, respectively. The ascorbic acid was stable in all study conditions.Two studies, both set up as completely randomized design, in a 5x5 and 7x5 factorial schemes, evaluated the interference of 5 and 7 ascorbic acid concentrations and 5 glucose or 5 sucrose concentrations, respectively, on the determination of total and reducing sugars by Lane and Eynon method. The ascorbic acid reducing power (AARP) over the Fehling liquor interfered in the results of total and reducing sugars. On average the AARP was equivalent to 74.83 and 69.71% of the reducing power of glucose and of hydrolyzed sucrose, respectively. The ascorbic acid was stable in all study conditions.