Raimundo Wilane de Figueiredo

Quantification of bioactive compounds in pulps and by-products of tropical fruits from Brazil

This study aimed to quantify the levels of resveratrol, coumarin, and other bioactives in pulps and by-products of twelve tropical fruits from Brazil obtained during pulp production process. Pineapple, acerola, monbin, cashew apple, guava, soursop, papaya, mango, passion fruit, surinam cherry, sapodilla, and tamarind pulps were evaluated as well as their by-products (peel, pulps leftovers, and seed). Total phenolic, anthocyanins, yellow flavonoids, β-carotene and lycopene levels were also determined. Resveratrol was identified in guava and surinam cherry by-products and coumarin in passion fruit, guava and surinam cherry by-products and mango pulp. These fruit pulp and by-products could be considered a new natural source of both compounds. Overall, fruit by-products presented higher (P<0.05) bioactive content than their respective fruit pulps. This study provides novel information about tropical fruits and their by-products bioactive composition, which is essential for the understanding of their nutraceutical potential and future application in the food industry.

Physical-chemical changes during extraction and clarification of guava juice

Pink guavas from Ibiapaba plateau (Serra Grande) in Ubajara country, CE, Brazil, were mashed and the pulp treated with 600 ppm of a pectic enzyme at 45°C for 120 min. The pulp so-treated was pressed to give an average juice yield of 84.70%. The pressed juice was cloudy and pink in colour but, after addition of fining agents and filtration, a clear juice with a light yellow colour was obtained. This clear juice was preserved by the Hot-pack method. During the extraction and clarification of the juice, some of the important physical and chemical changes were followed by measuring changes in total soluble solids (“Brix), acidity, viscosity, total phenolics content, colour, turbidity and ascorbic acid retention.

Physical and chemical characterization and antioxidant activity (in vitro) of fruit of the Piaui savanna.

Details about the chemical characterist composition and nutritional value of the cerrado fruits are basic tools for evaluating the consumption and formulation of new products. However, few data are available in the literature with regard to chemical composition of these fruits and their technological application, highlighting the need for scientific research on the subject. It was performed the present study aiming at characterizing the physical-chemical and determine the antioxidant activity in vitro by the DPPH method, the cagaita (Eugenia dysenterica) cajuzinho-do-cerrado (Anacardium humile), chicha (Sterculia striata Naud .), jatoba-do-cerrado (Hymenaeastigonocarpa Mart.) and macauba (Acrocomiaaculeata Mart.). The fruits were harvested at EMBRAPA - MID NORTH - PI and Correntes City - PI. It was analyzed the physical characteristics (weight, length and diameter), chemical (moisture, ashes, lipids, proteins, carbohydrates), total energy value (TEV), the content of total phenolics, flavonoids, anthocyanins, β-carotene, lycopene, vitamin C and antioxidant activity by DPPH. The samples were analyzed in two batches and each in triplicate analysis. For data analysis, it was designed a database, using the statistical program EPI INFO, version 6.04b. The obtained results for the studied bioactive compounds showed that all the fruits expressed hight amount of vitamin C (mg/100g), highlighting the cajuzinho-do-cerrado (500). The fruits with the highest antioxidant capacity, expressed in ability to reduce by 50% the activity of free radical DPPH (EC50mg / L) were cagaita (Eugenia dysenterica Dc.) and cajuzinho-do-cerrado (Anacardium humile). The research concludes, therefore, that the fruits studied showed good nutritional value, a meaningful content of bioactive compounds and demonstrate antioxidant activity.

Qualidade pós-colheita de frutos de diferentes clones de mangabeira (Hancornia speciosa Gomes)

Com o objetivo de avaliar a qualidade pos-colheita de frutos de diferentes clones de mangabeira (Hancornia speciosa Gomes) para consumo como fruto fresco e/ou industrializado, foram avaliados 10 clones: Ipojuca 3, 4 e 5 (IPJ 3, 4 e 5); Nizia Floresta 1, 6 e 8 (NIF 1, 6 e 8); Parnamirim 11 (PAR 11); Rio Tinto 7 (RIT 7); Extremoz 1 (EXT 1) e Touros 48 (TOU 48), oriundos de um Jardim Clonal instalado em 1996 do Banco Ativo de Germoplasma da Estacao Experimental de Mangabeira, pertencente a EMEPA - Empresa Estadual de Pesquisa Agropecuaria da Paraiba, situada em Joao Pessoa, PB. As mangabas foram colhidas manualmente em estadio de maturidade fisiologica, acondicionadas em caixas plasticas de transporte forradas no fundo com espuma de poliestireno e transportadas ao Laboratorio de Fisiologia e Tecnologia Pos-colheita da Embrapa Agroindustria Tropical, onde foram caracterizadas fisica, fisico-quimica e quimicamente. As caracteristicas de qualidade analisadas foram: massa total do fruto; comprimento, diâmetro, firmeza, numero de sementes; rendimento de polpa + casca; percentagem de sementes; pH; acidez total titulavel (ATT); solidos soluveis totais (SST); relacao SST/ATT; vitamina C total; acucares soluveis totais; acucares redutores, fenolicos polimericos, oligomericos e dimeros. A analise de variância revelou diferencas estatisticas para todas as caracteristicas pelo Teste F. De um modo geral os frutos de mangabeira dos clones avaliados apresentaram caracteristicas superiores as observadas na literatura, especialmente quanto aos padroes estabelecidos pela I.N. no 1 de 07/01/2000 do MAPA. Dentre os materiais geneticos avaliados pode-se destacar os clones RIT 8 e TOU 48 como os mais promissores para o mercado de frutas in natura, e os clones IPJ 3 e NIF 6 para o processamento agroindustrial.

Avaliação da qualidade microbiológica de frutos minimamente processados comercializados em supermercados de Fortaleza

O processamento minimo tem sido descrito como a manipulacao, o preparo, embalagem e a distribuicao de produtos agricolas, atraves de procedimentos como selecao, limpeza, lavagem, descascamento e corte, que nao afetem suas caracteristicas organolepticas, agregando valor aos mesmos. Varios fatores limitam o consumo destes produtos, os quais estao envolvidos na sua vida util, tais como: aumento da respiracao e da producao de etileno, escurecimento enzimatico, descoloracao da superficie, perda de agua e, sobretudo, alteracoes microbiologicas. No presente trabalho, o enfoque foi dado a este ultimo fator. Foram analisadas 20 amostras de goiaba, manga, melao japones, mamao formosa e abacaxi minimamente processados e comercializados em supermercados da cidade de Fortaleza-CE, considerando-se a quantificacao de coliformes totais, fecais, bolores e leveduras, e deteccao de bacterias potencialmente patogenicas, tais como Salmonella sp e Staphylococcus coagulase positivo. Atraves dos resultados deste trabalho, permitiu-se sugerir a necessidade de controle de qualidade, observando as boas praticas de fabricacao, para posterior implementacao de um sistema preventivo de APPCC, analise de perigos e pontos criticos de controle, para se assegurar um produto saudavel e seguro para o consumidor.

Estudo das variáveis de processo sobre a cinética de desidratação osmótica de melão

Osmotic dehydration represents a technological alternative to reduce post-harvest losses of fruits. The purpose of this work was to evaluate the influence of the osmotic solution concentration, fruit to osmotic solution ratio and system pressure on kinetics of the osmotic dehydration of melon. It was used 45o, 55o and 65oBrix sucrose solutions at 65oC, and 1:2 and 1:4 fruit to osmotic solution ratios. The osmotic treatments were carried out under atmospheric pressure and vacuum, for five hours. The use of vacuum in the osmotic dehydration of melon intensified the mass transport flows in the system when compared with the ones under atmospheric pressure, in the same conditions of concentration and fruit to osmotic solution ratio. The osmotic treatment under vacuum, which used 65oBrix sucrose solution and 1:4 fruit to osmotic solution ratio, showed be efficient for speeding up the water loss of the product, making possible to reach high degree of dehydration with a relatively small solids gain, in a shorter period of time when compared with the others treatments studied. The kinetics of the osmotic dehydration of melon is influenced by the process conditions, specially by the system pressure and osmotic solution concentration.

Storage stability of cashew apple juice preserved by hot fill and aseptic processes

Cashew (Anacardium occidentale L.) apples from Pacajus, Ceara State, Brazil, were processed into high pulp content juice. The juice was packed either by hot fill or an aseptic process and evaluated for physical, physical-chemical, and sensorial changes during a 12-month storage period at room temperature. The results indicated that pH, soluble solids, total acidity, total sugar content and color did not change significantly during storage nor were affected by the type of filling. The sensorial analysis showed that juice acceptance remained high throughout the storage period regardless of the filling system. Differences in juice viscosity persisted between both processes.

Physical-chemical changes in early dwarf cashew pseudofruits during development and maturation

Abstract Cashews (nut+apple) were harvested in July 1997 from clones of early dwarf cashew trees installed under irrigation at MAISAs (Mossoro Agroindustrial S.A.) property, in Mossoro-Rio Grande do Norte state, Brazil, and sorted according to the apple size and skin colour, into seven development and maturity stages. The following characteristics were analysed in the apples: weight, length, upper and lower diameters, pulp firmness, pH, soluble solids (SS), titratable acidity (TA), SS/TA ratio, vitamin C, tannins, total carotenoids, total chlorophyll, total pectin, total calcium, anthocyanins, starch, soluble calcium and reducing sugars. Pseudofruits increased significantly in size after the full development of the nuts. The peak of consumption quality, i.e. highest soluble solids, reducing sugars content, and highest SS/TA ratio was reached at the end of stage seven.

Processamento e conservação de manga por métodos combinados

A tecnologia de metodos combinados foi empregada na conservacao da manga (Mangifera indica, L.) em pedacos. A estabilidade fisico-quimica, microbiologica e sensorial da manga em pedacos foi obtida atraves do branqueamento com vapor saturado por 2 min, ajuste da atividade de agua (Aw) para 0,97, do pH para 3,6, adicao de 600 ppm de acido ascorbico, 1000 ppm de benzoato de sodio e 600 ou 900 ppm de dioxido de enxofre. Os produtos da manga processados nas condicoes descritas apresentaram, ao longo de 120 dias de armazenamento, teores de umidade, atividades de agua e pH na faixa para produtos de fruta de alta umidade; aumento dos acucares redutores; acentuada perda de SO2 (cerca de 60%) e vitamina C; reducao da contagem microbiologica, demonstrando que a selecao de obstaculos e suas intensidades foram capazes de assegurar a estabilidade microbiologica do produto. O teste de aceitabilidade mostrou que a manga conservada por metodos combinados teve boa aceitacao e que as medias dos atributos se assemelham aos resultados de testes sensoriais mencionados na literatura.

Influência da concentração e da proporção fruto: xarope na desidratação osmótica de bananas processadas

Considering the technological limitations of the traditional processes for production of banana fig with standard quality, the osmotic dehydration appears as an option to the standardization of this process. In this work to determine parameters of the banana osmotic dehydration process and to evaluate the influence of osmotic solution concentration on the physical chemical caracteristics of the fruit and stablish drying curves of pre treatment bananas through osmotic dehydration with and without vacuum. It was concluded that is possible to obtain dehydrated banana as a product of intermediate moisture, through osmotic pre treatment followed by drying. The characteristics of the product were influenced by concentration and proportion fruit:xyrop of the used medium.