Qualidade e potencial de utilização de bacuris (Platonia insignis Mart.) oriundos da região meio-norte.

Abstract

This work aimed to characterize fruits from different genotypes of “bacurizeiro” of the Middle-North Region of Brazil, evaluating their postharvest quality and selecting among the genetic materials, those which presented the more appropriate characteristics to the “in natura” consumption and/or industrial processing. The physical characterization of the fruits showed fruits weighting between 118,17 to 503,26 g, with length and diameter very similar one to another, attributing the fruits a round, ovoid or subglobose shape and average pulp yield of 18,556%, higher than previous reported yields. Total soluble solids, total soluble sugars and reducing sugars contents presented excellent values, besides low contents of phenolic compounds in all the fractions, what characterizes the bacuri pulp as little astringent, denoting potential nor only to “in natura” consumption as also to industry processing. Bacuri fruits must not be considered a good source of Vitamin C. High contents of total and soluble pectins were found in the genotypes M5, M7, M16, M22 and M23, these being the more appropriate to the obtaining of jam or fruit-in-syrup, crystallized fruit and paste sweet. The bacuri fruit pulp is an excellent source of minerals, deserving emphasis its calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, phosphorus, iron and zinc contents.