Estudo do processamento e armazenamento de acerolas para quantificação e monitoramento da vitamina C

Abstract

Vitamin C is important for the maintenance of the human body because it participates in numerous metabolic processes and is not synthesized by primates, so it is suppressed in food, in addition to being used in drugs and cosmetics. Due to the high vitamin C content, raw or processed acerola is used as a source. Thus, the first chapter was a bibliographic review, talking about the economic, physiological factors of acerola and vitamin C. In the second chapter of this work, it aimed to develop a methodology for monitoring the different stages of vitamin C extract processing, using the methodology of near infrared spectroscopy (NIR). The extracts from the processing steps: extract before the enzymatic treatment with pectin methyl esterase (EAE); extract after enzymatic treatment with PME for 30 min (EPE); extract after treatment with addition of calcium hydroxide (CaOH2) for 60 min (EAH); extract after decanting for 3 h and 30 min (DEC); extract obtained during ultrafiltration for 20 h (EUF); extract after ultrafiltration (EPF); and concentrated extract after evaporation (EBATCH). Spectral absorption data were collected by infrared spectroscopy near 800 nm to 2,500 nm, with 32 sweepers and 4 cm-1 resolution and correlated with reference analysis by spectrophotometry at 525 nm to determine the vitamin C content and we obtained the calibration and validation models were obtained by regression by partial least squares. The vitamin C content ranged from 1,188.39 to 9,959.74 mg.100 g-1, during all processing. The forecast error RMSEP 166.27 mg 100 g-1 of extract, calibration RMCV 451.79 mg 100 g-1 of extract and R2 with a value of 97%, the results favor the use of NIR spectroscopy, allowing the monitoring of vitamin C content in the concentrated extract production line. While in the third chapter, the objective is to evaluate immature acerola fruits of the variety 'Apodi' or BRS 235 under different storage conditions. The fruits harvested at the P5 stage were submitted to three treatments: fruits refrigerated at 4 ºC (FR), packaged and refrigerated at 4 ºC (FER) and packaged and frozen at -18 ºC (FEC). Assessments were made regarding the content of soluble solids and total, reduced and oxidized vitamin C right after harvest and daily during storage for 15 days, however the fruits of the FEC treatment remained stored in the same condition for 90 days. After 15 days of storage, the soluble solids content of the FER, FEC treatments had no significant difference and the FR treatment had an increase of 3.54%, while the vitamin C treatments had a FR reduction of 75.20%, FER of 44.25% and FEC of 20.63%. While after 90 days, the soluble solids content of the FEC treatment was 6.40 ºBrix and a reduction of 17.35% of vitamin C, which is considered suitable for preserving the vitamin C content and soluble solids of 'Apodi' acerola.