Vanderleia Schoeninger

Physico-chemical properties of common beans under natural and accelerated storage conditions

S.R.M. Coelho, S.H. Prudencio, D. Christ, S.C. Sampaio, and V. Schoeninger. 2013. Physico-chemical characterization of common beans under natural and accelerated storage conditions. Cien. Inv. Agr. 40(3): 629-636. The common bean is an important food in the human diet. Certain storage conditions, high temperatures and high humidity, cause a texture defect that reduces the acceptability of common beans. The present study aimed at evaluating the effect of storage on the physico-chemical properties of common bean grains and the relationship between accelerated aging at 40 °C and 76% RH and storage under natural conditions. Two varieties of common beans (Iapar 81 – carioca variety and Iapar 44 – black variety) were stored at 40 oC and 76% RH for 15, 30, 45, 60 and 75 days to accelerate aging. The same varieties were stored under environmental conditions (natural aging) for 3, 6, 9 and 12 months. For both storage conditions of each variety, fresh beans stored at 5 oC were used as a control group. In all of the samples, hardness, pH, acidity and the soluble protein percentage were analyzed. Both storage processes, in the natural and accelerated conditions, caused an increase in acidity (4.0 to 5.9 and 3.2 to 6.4 g acetic acid kg -1 ) and a decrease in cellular pH (6.65 to 6.45 and 6.65 to 6.45) and protein solubility (77 to 54 and 76 to 38%). The greatest percentage changes in the parameters of acidity, pH and soluble proteins were observed in the beans in the accelerated aging condition. Beans’ hardness during storage has a negative correlation with pH, which shows that it is a good indicator of grain quality. Natural storage for one year is equivalent to accelerated aging for 45 days at 40 °C and 76% RH.