Efeito dos processos de extração e clarificação na composição química, perfil de ácidos anacárdicos e na adstringência do suco de caju

Abstract

The cashew apple (Anacardium occidentale L.) has high nutritional value and antioxidant activity. However, the juice still has low consumption due to its high astringency. In previous works, anacardic acids were identified as contributors to the astringency of the cashew apple. From that, this work aimed to evaluate the chemical composition, anacardic acid profile and astringency in whole and clarified cashew juices obtained by different extraction and clarification processes. Cashew apples of clone CCP 09 were submitted to two different extraction processes: pulper and expeller press, to obtain the whole juice. Then, each whole juice sample was subjected to two clarification methods: by flocculation and microfiltration. The six samples obtained were submitted to physical-chemical characterization through the analysis of pH, Total Soluble Solids (TSS), Total Titratable Acidity (TTA) and Total Extractable Polyphenols (TEP); sensory test to measure the intensity of astringency and its subqualities, in addition to the identification and quantification of anacardic acids by liquid chromatography. The physical-chemical and sensorial results were analyzed by ANOVA, Tukey test (α=0.05) and Principal Component Analysis (PCA). Regarding the physical chemical characterization, the juice obtained by the pulper had higher soluble solids content (12.54 °Brix) and higher pH (4.44), while the juice obtained by the expeller press had higher acidity (0.24) and higher content of total polyphenols (557.36 mgEAG.100 g-1). The clarified juices obtained a great reduction in the polyphenol content. In the sensory test, the whole juices showed high astringency, so that the one obtained by the expeller press showed greater intensity (7.21) than the juice obtained by the pulper (4.10). The clarified juices had practically no astringency and its sub-quality. In whole juices, the presence of anacardic acids was identified, and in the quantification, the juice obtained by the pulper showed the highest concentration. In clarified juices the presence of anacardic acids was not identified. The juices obtained by different extraction and clarification processes have distinct physicochemical characteristics and different astringency intensities and their sub-quality. Anacardic acids can be considered astringent, but they are not the main contributors to astringency and its sub qualities in cashew juices.