Potencial tecnológico e nutricional de bebida isotônica produzida com soro de ricota e polpa de maracujá-da-caatinga “BRS Sertão Forte”

Abstract

Isotonic beverages are supplements intended for hydration and electrolyte replacement. As products commonly associated with sports and healthy living, the addition of natural ingredients in their formulations can arouse greater interest among consumers than commercial beverages, which are often produced with artificial flavor and aroma. Ricotta whey is a source of minerals and lactose and has low caloric value, which makes it a promising raw material for the production of isotonic beverages. The addition of fruit pulp to these drinks can contribute to the addition of nutritional value, bioactive compounds beneficial to health, and improve sensory characteristics. The passion fruit 'BRS Sertão Forte' is a variety of passion fruit native to the Caatinga, rich in minerals and antioxidant compounds, which can help replace electrolytes and contribute to the redox balance of the body. Thus, this study aimed to develop an isotonic beverage based on Ricotta whey and passion fruit pulp cv. BRS Sertão Forte. Initially, a mapping of patents was performed in which it was identified that there is still a low percentage of innovation related to the use of whey in the preparation of this type of drink. The physical-chemical composition, bioactive compounds, and antioxidant potential of passion fruit pulp at different stages of maturity were evaluated to define the best condition for the elaboration of the isotonic beverage. Regardless of the degree of ripeness, the fruits are excellent sources of K, Ca, and Na, and bioactive compounds such as ascorbic acid, isoquercetin and rutin, which contribute to their high antioxidant activity. Mature passion fruit pulps, compared to intermediate stage pulps, exhibited higher K content (413.34 mg 100 g-1), similar Na content (16.39 and 16.70 mg 100 g-1), higher soluble solids / titratable acidity ratio (3, 21), higher ascorbic acid content (17.67 mg 100 g -1) and phenolic compounds such as rutin (7.46 μg g-1), gallic acid (6.07 μg g-1) and ρ-coumaric acid (3.55 μg g-1), and were therefore chosen for beverage preparation. Three formulations were prepared: I1 - 50% Ricotta whey, 5% passion fruit pulp and 3% sucrose; I2 - 50% whey, 8.5% pulp and 3% sucrose; I3 - 30% whey, 12% pulp and 5% sucrose. I3 presented higher ascorbic acid content (3.03 mg 100 g-1) and antioxidant activity (74.98 to 150.49 μMol TEAC 100 mL-1), obtained greater acceptance in the consumer test and maintained its physicochemical stability and microbiological safety during storage at 7 ºC for 56 days. The main phenolic compounds quantified in the beverages were (-)-epicatechin gallate (3.57 to 6.13 mg L-1), (-)-epigallocatechin gallate (2.46 to 3.17 mg L-1), and cis-resveratrol (1.43 to 2.33 mg L-1). I1 and I3 exhibited high bioaccessibility of minerals K, Na, and Mg (37% to 70%) compared to I2 (31 to 40%). Furthermore, the beverages presented good sensory acceptance, are good sources of bioactive compounds and bioaccessible minerals, and constitute innovative alternatives for the market of supplements for athletes.