Acerola: importance, culture conditions, production and biochemical aspects

Origin and importance. Acerola, or Malpighia emarginata D. C., is native to the Caribbean islands, Central America and the Amazonian region. More recently, it has been introduced in subtropical areas (Asia, India and South America). The vitamin C produced by acerola is better absorbed by the human organism than synthetic ascorbic acid. Exportation of acerola crops is a potential alternative source of income in agricultural businesses. In Brazil, the commercial farming of acerola is quite recent. Climatic conditions. Acerola is a rustic plant. It can resist temperatures close to 0 degrees C, but it is well adapted to temperatures around 26 degrees C with rainfall between (1200 and 1600) mm per year. Fruit characteristics. Acerola fruit is drupaceous, whose form can vary from round to conic. When ripe, it can be red, purple or yellow. The fruit weight varies between (3 and 16) g. Maturation. Acerola fruit presents fast metabolic activity and its maturation occurs rapidly. When commercialised in ambient conditions, it requires fast transportation or the use of refrigerated containers to retard its respiration and metabolism partially. Production and productivity. Flowering and fruiting are typically in cycles associated with rain. Usually, they take place in 25-day cycles, up to 8 times per year. The plant can be propagated by cuttings, grafting or seedlings. Harvest. Fruits produced for markets needs to be harvested at its optimal maturation stage. For distant markets, they need to be packed in boxes and piled up in low layers; transportation should be done in refrigerated trucks in relatively high humid conditions. Biochemical constituents. Acerola is the most important natural source of vitamin C [(1000 to 4500) mg.100(-1) g of pulp], but it is also rich in pectin and pectolytic enzymes, carotenoids, plant fibre, vitamin B, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, proteins and mineral salts. It has also shown active anti-fungal properties. Products and market. Acerola is used in the production of juice, soft drinks, gums and liqueurs. The USA and Europe are great potential markets. In Europe, acerola extracts are used to enrich pear or apple juices. In the USA, they are used in the pharmaceutical industry. Conclusions. The demand for acerola has increased significantly in recent years because of the relevance of vitamin C in human health, coupled with the use of ascorbic acid as an antioxidant in food and feed. Acerola fruit contains other significant components, which are likely to lead to a further increase in its production and trade all over the world.

Construção de pilhas elétricas simples: Um experimento integrado de química e física

Neste artigo são descritas formas simples e de baixo custo de se montar pilhas, empregando-se placas de zinco, magnésio e cobre mergulhadas diretamente nas soluções eletrolíticas. Como soluções eletrolíticas podem ser empregadas suco de frutas cítricas, ou mesmo apenas água de torneira. A tensão e corrente produzidas pelas pilhas montadas são suficientes para acionar dispositivos com baixa demanda de potência, como relógios analógicos e digitais . Os experimentos podem ser explorados como simples demonstração de transformação de energia química em elétrica para alunos do nível fundamental, ou utilizados como práticas interdisciplinares de Física e Química para alunos mais avançados.

Análise isotópica (δ13C) e legalidade em suco e polpa de caju

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Desenvolvimento e validação de método analítico para determinação de benzoato, sorbato, metil e propilparabenos em produtos alimentícios utilizando a eletroforese capilar

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Determinação da variação da viscosidade intrínseca do poli (tereftalato de etileno) de embalagens

O mercado de embalagens de poli(tereftalato de etileno) -PET- para acondicionamento de refrigerantes, água mineral, sucos concentrados e óleos comestíveis apresenta polímeros de diferentes tipos, que foram desenvolvidos para personalizar o atendimento a clientes desejosos de propriedades melhores e mais específicas, principalmente em termos de massa molar. No caso do PET, assim como na indústria da reciclagem do polímero, o ensaio de viscosidade intrínseca é muito usado para determinar a massa molar. Este trabalho apresenta os resultados de viscosidade intrínseca de PET advindo de embalagens de várias marcas de refrigerantes, sucos e óleos de soja. Amostras de cada embalagem foram dissolvidas em solução de fenol-tetracloroetano (60:40 em peso) e o fluxo das mesmas em um viscosímetro Cannon-Fenske a 30 °C para medir a viscosidade relativa, que foi convertido para viscosidade intrínseca. Os resultados mostraram uma variação no valor da propriedade conforme se variava o volume, tipo e a marca do produto envasado. Para as 21 amostras analisadas, os resultados variaram de 0,70 a 0,79 dL/g. Portanto, uma melhor seleção das embalagens pode ajudar os recicladores na obtenção de produtos melhores, com menor variação na massa molar. Os valores de densidade obtidos apresentaram uma pequena variação, que torna-se maior quando transformados em cristalinidade.

Detection of carbamate pesticides in vegetable samples using cholinesterase-based biosensors

Biosensors for determination of carbamates in vegetables based on five different cholinesterases as biorecognition elements and a screen-printed electrode system as an amperometric transducer were developed. Measurements were simply performed by dropping solutions (either sample or substrate) directly on the biosensor. The response of biosensors to selected carbamates (aldicarb, carbaryl, carbofuran, methomyl and propoxur) was characterized. The performance was evaluated on extracts of potatoes and carrots, the results from the AChE biosensor and a standard HPLC procedure were compared. Finally, the biosensor was used for the direct analysis of vegetable juices without any pretreatment steps. In this case, 10 mu g/L levels of added carbofuran and propoxur were reliably identified. The whole procedure takes less than 20 min including 10 min incubation with samples. The concentrations of carbamates determined with biosensor agreed well for carbofuran. Lower response was observed for propoxur.

Laminar flow of soursop juice through concentric annuli: Friction factors and rheology

Laminar axial flow of a pseudoplastic fluid food (soursop, juice) in annular ducts has been experimentally investigated. In the first part of the manuscript, the rheological behavior of soursop juice, being essential for the annular flow analysis, was completely determined from 9.3 to 49.4 degrees Brix and temperatures from 0.4 degrees C to 68.8 degrees C, using a rotational rheometer equipped with coaxial cylinders. In order to test the adequacy of the rheology results, pressure loss data in the laminar pipe flow were collected and then experimental and theoretical friction factors were compared, showing excellent agreement, which indicated the reliability of the Power-Law model for describing the soursop juices. In the second part, pressure loss in annular regions was measured and used to estimate friction factors, which were then compared to those resulted from analytical and semi-analytical equations. The principal contributions of this article are to provide a review on the determination of friction factors-Reynolds number of pseudoplastic fluids in annuli, and also supply extensive new experimental data on the rheological properties and pressure loss of an important shear-thinning fluid food, which is of particular interest for the food engineering process design. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Amperometric differential determination of ascorbic acid in beverages and vitamin C tablets using a flow cell containing an array of gold microelectrodes modified with palladium

A simple and attractive method for quantification of ascorbic acid (AA) in beers, soda, natural juices and commercial vitamin C tablets was achieved by combining Bow injection analysis and amperometric detection. An array of gold microelectrodes electrochemically modified by deposition of palladium was employed as working electrode which was almost unaffected by fouling effects. Ascorbic acid was quantified in beverages and vitamin tablets using amperometric differential measurements. This method is based on three steps involving the flow injection of: 1) the sample plus a standard addition of AA, 2) the pure sample, and 3) the enzymatically-treated sample. The enzymatic treatment was carried out with Cucumis sativus tissue, which is a rich source of ascorbate oxidase, at pH 7. The calibration plots for freshly prepared ascorbic acid standards were very linear in the concentration range of 0.18-1.8 mg L-1 with a relative standard deviation (RSD) < 1%, while for real samples the deviations were between 2.7% to 8.9%.

Determination of malic acid in real samples by using enzyme immobilized reactors and amperometric detection

The malate dehydrogenase (MDH) and ascorbate oxidase were immobilized independently, onto silanized controlled porous silica and packed in a tygon tube. The reactors were inserted in the flow system, and the malic acid was determined by measurement of NADH produced by enzymatic reaction. The NADH was reoxidized in a wall jet cell that consisted of spectrographic graphite, Ag/AgCl, KCl(sat), and steel needle as work, reference, and counter electrodes, respectively. The current intensities were measured at 390 mV. The malate calibration curve shows a linear range from 5.0 x 10(-6) to 1.0 x 10(-4) molL(-1), the lifetime was 40 analyses, after that a decrease of 20% on the response is observed. Three different citric juices were analyzed and a good correlation between the proposed method and spectrophotometric commercial kit were obtained.

Friction factors and rheological properties of orange juice

The rheological behavior of Brazilian orange juice with different water content (0.34-0.73 w/w) was studied at a wide range of temperatures (0.5-62 degrees C) using a concentric cylinder viscometer. The results indicated that the juices behave as pseudoplastic fluids with yield stress, being represented by the Herschel-Bulkley model. The rheological parameters were fitted as functions of both temperature and water content in the tested range. Based on dimensional analysis it was proposed a modified Reynolds number (Re-M), which includes the Herschel-Bulkley parameters. Experimental data of friction factors during heating and cooling processes of orange juice in laminar flow through circular tubes could be well correlated as a function of Re-M. (C) 1999 Elsevier B.V. Ltd. All rights reserved.

Temperature and concentration dependence of density of model liquid foods

Density of binary solutions and combinations of sucrose, glucose, fructose, citric acid, malic acid, pectin, and inorganic salts were measured with an oscillating tube density meter in the temperature range from 10degrees to 60degreesC, at varying concentrations. Density can be predicted with accuracy better than 5 x 10(-5) g cm(-3) using predictive equations obtained by fitting the experimental data. Available literature values agreed well with experimental data. Relations for the excess molar volume of these solutions were derived in terms of mole fraction and temperature. A thermodynamic model for the volumetric analysis of multicomponent aqueous solutions containing electrolyte and non-electrolyte compounds was also proposed. These models can be used for prediction of density of liquid food systems, specially fruit juices and beverages, based on composition and temperature, with high accuracy and without elaborate experimental work.

Collapse and Color Changes in Grapefruit Juice Powder as Affected by Water Activity, Glass Transition, and Addition of Carbohydrate Polymers

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Recent advances in electronic tongues

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Elevation of boiling point of coffee extract

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Thermal properties of passion fruit juice as affected by temperature and water content

The specific heat, thermal conductivity and density of passion fruit juice were experimentally determined from 0.506 to 0.902 (wet basis) water content and temperatures from 0.4 to 68.8C. The experimental results were compared with existing and widely used models for the thermal properties. In addition, based on empiric equations from literature, new simple models were parameterized with a subset of the total experimental data. The specific heat and thermal conductivity showed linear dependency on water content and temperature, while the density was nonlinearly related to water content. The generalized predictive models were considerably good for this product but the empiric, product-specific models developed in the present work yield better predictions. Even though the existing models showed a moderate accuracy, the new simple ones would be preferred, because they constitute an easier and direct way of evaluating the thermal properties of passion fruit juice, requiring no information about the chemical composition of the product, and a reduced time of the estimation procedure, as the new empiric models are described in terms of only two physical parameters, the water content and the temperature. © Copyright 2005, Blackwell Publishing All Rights Reserved.