Edson Pablo da Silva

Developing fruit-based nutritious snack bars

BACKGROUND Marolo (Annona crassiflora Mart) is a typical savannah fruit that is very nutritious and highly appreciated. However, its consumption has been limited to fresh fruit. The objective of this study was to evaluate the potential use of marolo flour in the production of healthy snack bars to valorise this fruit and provide an alternative ready-to-eat nutritious product. Snack bars containing increasing amounts of marolo flour (5 g 100 g(-1), 10 g 100 g(-1), 15 g 100 g(-1), 20 g 100 g(-1), expressed in w/w) were produced and the physico-chemical and sensory characteristics were determined. RESULTS Levels up to 20% marolo flour can be incorporated in snack bars with some minor changes in pH and moisture content but with an increase of 2.4-fold in dietary fibre content and also 1.3-fold of vitamin C, minerals and antioxidant activity. In addition, up to 10% marolo flour improves significantly the sensory properties of the snack bars, namely appearance, taste, texture and overall acceptance. CONCLUSION Marolo flour can be considered an alternative flour for obtaining healthy snack bars, with increased nutritional and sensory quality.

Caracterização física, química e fisiológica de gabiroba (Campomanesia pubescens) durante o desenvolvimento

The objective of this work was to characterize the gabiroba fruit (Campomanesia pubescens) during its development through physical, chemical, and biochemical analyses. The fruits were harvested 8 km off the city of Lavras, south of Minas Gerais, Brazil every 5 days from anthesis until complete maturation. The flowering of the gabiroba started in August and its maximum was in September, when the early fructification occurred although October is the ideal period to harvest. The period between flowers opening (anthesis) until ripening lasted 63 days (9 weeks). The fruit reached its maximum size at 63 days (9th week) after anthesis, with 4,26 g, 17,39 mm and 16,03 mm, representing its mass and longitudinal and transversal diameters, respectively. The gabiroba fruit presented a significant increase of mass, longitudinal and transversal diameters, L* and a* values, vitamin C, total sugar, soluble solids and soluble pectin, during its development showing a simple sigmoidal behaviour. It was observed a decrease in the respiration rate and polygalacturonase activity between 48 and 53 days, as well as reduction in the firmness, total chlorophyll, and oscillation in the b* value and total pectin during the development of the fruit.

Stability of gluten free sweet biscuit elaborated with rice bran, broken rice and okara

A challenge to the food sector has been the development of new products incorporating co-products from the food processing industry with minimal impact on their pre-determined structures and adding nutritional quality. In order to add value and develop alternatives for the use of co-products generated during the agroindustrial processing, this work aimed to study the stability of gluten-free sweet biscuits developed with soybean okara, rice bran and broken rice. The formulations were elaborated with increasing percentages of these ingredients and compared with the standard (commercial sweet biscuit) for ten months. The analyses were: weight, diameters (internal and external), thickness, specific volume, instrumental parameters of color, texture, scanning electron microscopy, water activity, proximal composition and isoflavones. The experimental sweet biscuits had characteristics of color, weight, volume and diameters (internal and external) very similar to the commercial, whereas texture, lipids and energy value decreased, and aw, moisture and protein increased during storage. The sweet biscuits showed the same stability when compared to the standard, and the

Total antioxidant activity of dried tomatoes marketed in Brazil

The main antioxidant compounds (lycopene, β-carotene, total phenolic, and vitamin C) and total antioxidant activity in eight dried tomatoes marketed in Brazil were determined. The total antioxidant activity was determined by the DPPH radical scavenging method and the β-carotene/linoleic acid system in both hydrophilic and hydrophobic extracts. The contents of the antioxidant compounds varied significantly among the products analyzed. The hydrophobic extracts showed higher antioxidant activity with the β-carotene/linoleic acid system while the hydrophilic extracts showed higher antioxidant activity with the DPPH method. Despite differences found, the dried tomatoes can be considered products with high contents of antioxidant compounds with high antioxidant activity.

Physiological development of cagaita (Eugenia dysenterica).

It was evaluated the physiological aspects of the cagaita (Eugenia dysenterica) development, from anthesis to ripening. The fruits have been subjected to physical and chemical analysis during the fruit life cycle. The total fruit development comprised 37days. There was a steady increase in the total mass of the fruits and significant increase in transverse and longitudinal diameter, adjusting the double sigmoidal behavior in response to changes in the time. From the 23rd DAA, it was observed the beginning of loss of firmness, increase in total and soluble pectin content and a decrease in starch content. It occurred degradation of total chlorophyll and unmasking of carotenoids from 31st days after anthesis. A decrease in pH and, therefore, increase in acidity, low soluble solids content. The sucrose content was extremely low during the cycle. At the end of development, the respiratory and ethylene production peak was observed, suggesting climacteric behavior.

Effect of adding flours from marolo fruit (Annona crassiflora Mart) and jerivá fruit (Syagrus romanzoffiana Cham Glassm) on the physicals and sensory characteristics of food bars

The marolo (Annona crassiflora Mart.) and jeriva (Syagrus romanzoffiana Cham Glassm) fruits grow in the Cerrado biome, and have important sensory and nutritional characteristics. These fruits are eaten fresh or processed and embedded in ice cream, candy, juices, and liquors. However, their use is very limited and is localized exclusively to their native region. The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of these fruits in food consumer products to improve the nutritional patterns of consumers and extend knowledge thereof. To do this, different levels (0%, 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20%) of flour derived from the marolo and jeriva fruits were incorporated into food bars, which were then characterized in terms of their physical of the texture (TPA), porosity, color and sensorial properties. The food bars enriched with marolo and jeriva flours had an intense yellow color and increased hardness relative to the control bars; the porosity of the bars progressively decreased as the amount of flour added increased. The sensorial analysis in the snack bars developed added with the fruits flour no was influence by incorporation this component, showed good averages for the scores evaluated.

Characterization and development of marolo (Annona crassiflora, Mart.)

The objectives of this study was the physical, chemical, and physiological characterization of marolo (Annona crassiflora, Mart.) during its development. The fruits were harvested 12 Km off Itumirim, Southern Minas Gerais, Brazil, at 20-d intervals from anthesis to fruit maturity. The first fruits were harvested within 60 days. The total development of the fruit took 140 days starting from anthesis. At 140 days after anthesis, the fruit reached its maximum size, with mass of 1.380g, transverse diameter of 13.0 cm, and longitudinal diameter of 11.5 cm. During its development, the fruit showed increase in mass and in traverse and longitudinal diameters. The changes during maturation and ripening, such as: pH reduction and starch degradation, pectic solubilization, and increase in total sugars, soluble solids (oB), respiratory rate (CO2), titratable acidity, vitamin C, and β-caroteno were observed from the 120th day of marolo development. A decrease in ability to sequester free radicals was observed up the 120th day, followed by an increase. The volatile compounds identified at the end of the development included the esters group only.

Physicochemical and sensory characteristics of snack bars added of jerivá flour (Syagrus romanzoffiana)

The objective of this work was to characterize promising fruit crops and to explore opportunities for the sustainable and commercial use of flours obtained from fruits as an ingredient in snack bars. The fruit selected was Jeriva, which grow from north to eastern Brazil, and can be found in the Savanna biome. The fruit flour was obtained from dehydrated pulps and the proximate composition, dietary fiber, vitamin C, % scavenging free radicals, mineral composition, pH, oBrix, titratable acidity and sensory analysis were determined. The flour was incorporated into the formulation by partial substitution of the standard ingredients of snack bars. The presence of increasing amounts (up to 20%) of Jeriva fruit flour resulted in sensory accepted snack bars, with 7.02 average in the scores evaluated, without significant differences among the formulations and significantly increased the protein at 7.12%, vitamin C 40.81 mg.g-1 and fiber contentes showed values at 6.66% for dietary fiber. Moreover, the results of free radical scavenging confirmed the greater antioxidant activity proportional to the increment of flour. Therefore, Jeriva fruit flour could be an alternative sensorily acceptable, for obtaining of snack bars.

Effect of Marolo (Annona crassiflora Mart.) Pulp Flour Addition in Food Bars

Due to increasing consumer demand for healthy foods, attempts are being made to improve their nutritional value. Thus, there is a necessity to develop food bars enriched with dietary fiber and palatable nutritional components. The aim of this study was to evaluate the shelf life of food bars, prepared with different proportions of marolo pulp flour (20, 30, 40, and 50% replacement of oatmeal) for six-month storage, through nutritional and physical analysis, as well as sensory acceptance. The total dietary fiber content showed an average of 7.1 g·100 g−1. There was a significant increase in antioxidant activity, vitamin C, and total carotenoids content according to increasing concentration of marolo pulp flour in the food bars. In sensory evaluation, the food bar with addition of 50% marolo pulp flour showed higher averages for all evaluated attributes and was the favorite by the evaluators.

1-MCP nos aspectos fisiológicos e na qualidade pós-colheita de maçãs Eva durante o armazenamento refrigerado

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of specific doses of the compound 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP), after harvest, on the physiological and physicochemical quality of apples Eva during refrigerated storage. After applying thetreatment with different doses of 1-MCP (0, 10, 50, 100 and 500mg L-1), fruit were stored in cold 0.5°C (±0.5) for up to 135 days. The cold storage with the application of 1-MCP resulted in a lower production of ethylene in fruits treated with doses of 10, 50 and 100mg L-1. The control group lost 45% of its firmness, while the treated groups lost on average 27% of their firmness the parameter C fruit color identified with a more intense color to the 135 days of storage and Hue angle showed that when treated with doses of 10 and 50mg L-1, fruit showed more yellow, evidenced best action of 1-MCP at low concentrations. Fruit that have not undergone the treatments showed a higher ratio of soluble solids and acidity, thus demonstrating increased metabolic activity.