The objective of the work was to evaluate b-carotene, ascorbic acid and total anthocyanins alterations in fruit pulp of acerola tree clones conserved by the cold. The fruit clones BRS 152 (Sertaneja), BRS 235 (Apodi), BRS 236 (Cereja), BRS 237 (Roxinha), BRS 238 (Frutacor) and II 47/1 were harvested in a commercial maturation stage (ripe red) in Limoeiro do Norte, Ceará, Brasil, carried to Planta Piloto de Processamento de Frutos da Embrapa Agroindústria Tropical, unpulped, the pulp was storaged in polietilin bags (100 g), frozen, kept in a freezer at -20 °C, and evaluated every 30 days for 12 months. The experiment was carried out with experimental delineament totally casualized in a factorial scheme 6 x 13 (clones x time), with 3 repetitions. The concentration of beta-carotene in the Cereja clone was stable, while the other ones were decreased during the whole time of the experiment. There was a small decrease in the ascorbic acid level in all the clones in the study during the storage, probably due to the high acidity of the pulp, which helps maintain its nutrient. The total anthocyanins level were stable in the Frutacor and Sertaneja clones, however, it decreased in the other ones. The II 47/1 clone was, among all the studied clones, the one that presented the highest levels of ascorbic acid C and total anthocyanins, keeping these characteristics during the whole storage. In conclusion, the clones that presented the lowest level of beta-carotene, showed the highest concentrations of total anthocyanins.
Malpighia emarginata; pulp; quality; conservation
