Avaliação do potencial tecnológico da polpa do fruto do quipá (Tacinga inamoena) em diferentes estádios de maturação

Abstract

This work presents the study of the technological potential of the fruit of the quipá.The quipá belongs to the cactus family and can be found in most of the Northeast region.Its fruit has application generally in the handmade production of jellies and sweets, in which the residue is usually discarded.Considering the scarce data from the literature on the fruit and in order to find other applications also to the residue of the artisan manufacture of jelly,the objective was to evaluate the technological potential of the fruit in maturation stages: green (1), "de-vez" (2) and mature (3).The physical measures of fruits were determined: weight, length and diameter;the physical-chemical characteristics of the pulps: pH, acidity, soluble solids, moisture, Aw and vitamin C;the mucilage yield (soluble fraction) of the pulps; and the technological properties of water absorption capacity (AA), fat absorption (AG), emulsifying activity (AE) and foaming captivity, of the lyophilized insoluble fraction of the pulps.Regarding the physical characteristics, the dimensions presented approximate values between the maturation stages.As for the physicochemical characteristics, the pH ranged from 3.68 to 3.54.The soluble solids content ranged from 10.5% to 11.5%. The acidity decreased with maturation, with contents between 1.04% and 1.37%. The Aw values were 0.99 in the 3 stages and the humidity varied between 79.85 and 82.29%.Vitamin C levels increased with maturation, ranging from 26.30 to 35.7 mg / 100g Citric Acid. The yield of the mucilage ranged from 1.15% to 4.69%, and was not sufficient for determining technological properties.The insoluble fraction obtained yield between 49.4% and 79.43%. The insoluble fraction was lyophilized and its technological properties showed a good AA capacity, between 200% and 250%, and of AG fat, between 175% and 250%. The insoluble fraction had no foaming properties and presented low AE, with values varying from 37.5% to 55.34%.This work showed that the fruit of the quipá can be considered a source of vitamin C and may be a potential technological ingredient due to its capacity of AA and AG. As a result, there is potential for adding value to the fruit, which can increase the income of those who produce and market the handmade jellies, since it can use the processing byproduct, the residue, suggesting its application in the food industry, mainly meat products and of baking.