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Volume 64, Number 6, November-December 2009
Page(s) 361 - 370
DOI 10.1051/fruits/2009032
Published online 08 December 2009

Fruits 64 (2009) 361-370
DOI: 10.1051/fruits/2009032

Quality for fresh consumption and processing of some non-traditional tropical fruits from Brazil

Maria do Socorro Moura Rufino1, Ricardo Elesbão Alves2, Edy Sousa de Brito2, Márcia Régia Souza da Silveira2 and Carlos Farley Herbster Moura2

1  Fed. Rural Univ. Semi-Arid, BR 110, Km 47, Pres. Costa e Silva, 59625-900, Mossoró - RN, Brazil
2  Embrapa Trop. Agroind., R. Dra. Sara Mesquita, 2270, Pici, 60511-110, Fortaleza - CE, Brazil

Published online: 8 December 2009

Abstract - Introduction. Brazil is home to a great diversity of tropical, non-traditional fruit species with a potential for consumption in natura and agroindustrial processing. The objective of our study was to evaluate the quality of 18 non-traditional fruits from Brazil belonging to the families Anacardiaceae, Apocynaceae, Arecaceae, Clusiaceae, Malpighiaceae, Melastomataceae and Myrtaceae. Materials and methods. Samples were collected from areas of occurrence, commercial orchards and collections in Northern, Northeastern and Southeastern Brazil; they were tested for total soluble solids (TSS), soluble sugars (SS), reducing sugars (RS), total titratable acidity (TTA), pH, [TSS / TTA] ratio, starch, total pectin (TP) and soluble pectin (SP). Results and discussion. Parameters varied greatly among the species. Thus, TSS was 4.75–37.07 °Brix; SS, 1.26–17.74%; RS, 2.53–9.92%; TTA, 0.20–2.64%; pH, 2.56–5.38; [TSS / TTA], 3.26–107.70; starch, 0.12–12.65%; TP, 0.15–1.27%; and SP, 0.04–1.49%. Conclusion. Many of the 18 fruits evaluated in this study show potential for consumption in natura and agroindustrial processing.


Résumé - Introduction. Le Brésil possède une grande diversité d'espèces fruitières tropicales non traditionnelles potentiellement consommables en fruits frais ou après transformation. L'objectif de notre étude a été d'évaluer la qualité de 18 fruits non traditionnels du Brésil appartenant aux familles Anacardiaceae, Apocynaceae, Arecaceae, Clusiaceae, Malpighiaceae, Melastomataceae et Myrtaceae. Matériel et méthodes. Des échantillons ont été collectés sur leur lieu de production, en vergers commerciaux et en collections, dans le nord, nord-est et sud-est du Brésil. Les fruits ont été analysés pour évaluation de leurs caractéristiques : solides solubles totaux (SST), sucres solubles (SS), sucres réducteurs (SR), acidité totale titrable (ATT), pH, rapport [SST / ATT], amidon, pectine totale (PT) et pectine soluble (PS). Résultats et discussion. Les caractéristiques ont considérablement varié parmi les espèces étudiées. Ainsi, les SST ont été de 4,75–37,07 °Brix ; SS, 1,26–17,74 % ; SR, 2,53–9,92 % ; TTA, 0,20–2,64 % ; pH, 2,56–5,38 ; [SST / ATT], 3,26–107,70 % ; amidon, 0,12–12,65 % ; PT, 0,15–1,27 % ; et PS, 0,04–1,49 %. Conclusion. Plusieurs des 18 fruits évalués lors de cette étude offriraient un bon potentiel pour une consommation en fruits frais ou après transformation.


Key words: Brazil / tropical fruits / indigenous species / introduced varieties / production possibilities / consumption / fresh fruits / processing

Mots clés : Brésil / fruits tropicaux / espèce indigène / variété introduite / possibilité de production / consommation / fruits frais / traitement

Corresponding author: Ricardo Elesbão Alves elesbao@pq.cnpq.br

© CIRAD, EDP Sciences 2009


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