Abstract
The tucumã, also known as Amazonian tucumã, is the fruit obtained from the Astrocaryum aculeatum palm tree, and presents significant local economic potential. It is characterized as a slightly acid fruit, low in sugar, but high in β-carotene and energy. The objective of the present work was to study the conservation of the nutritional properties of in natura tucumã pulp using vacuum packaging, since the pulp is stored inappropriately in most commercial establishments. The antioxidant potential of the pulp during storage was also evaluated. The following parameters were analysed during 150 days: the moisture and ash contents, pH, acidity, ether extract, energy, microbiological growth (coliforms and Salmonella), and the antioxidant activity using the DPPH• radical scavenging method. The packs were stored under freezing and refrigeration temperatures. It was found that the moisture, ash and pH values were retained for 5 months by the use of vacuum packaging under freezing or refrigeration temperatures; the acidity was only preserved for 10 days in vacuum packages in the freezer; the ether extract values were maintained for 3 months under freezing temperature and for 1 month under refrigeration temperature; and the energy value of the pulp was maintained for 2 months under freezing and 10 days under refrigeration temperatures. Coliforms and Salmonella were not detected during 5 months of vacuum storage under both frozen and refrigeration temperatures; and the antioxidant activity was preserved for 2 months in the frozen samples, but not in the refrigerated samples. Thus this study showed that the use of vacuum packaging associated with freezing conserved the majority of the nutritional properties of the in in natura tucumã pulp for 30 days of storage, a simple procedure that can be used by local food suppliers.
Keywords:
Astrocaryum aculeatum; Vacuum; Freezing; Cooling; Physicochemical characterisation; Antioxidant activity
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