Identifying non-destructive growth and maturity indexes of Prickly pear (Opuntia albicarpa S. Var. Burrona) and evaluation of freeze-drying conditions

Sandra T Martín Del Campo,Jessica Del Pilar Ramírez-Anaya,Eulogio Pimienta-Barrios,Ma Claudia Castañeda-Saucedo,Cristina Samaniego-Sánchez,Héctor E Gómez-Hernández

doi:10.1080/19476337.2019.1676315

Abstract

ABSTRACTAround the world, prickly pear fruits are valued as a source of dietary functional compounds and ingredients for innovative foods. Growth and physicochemical changes of Opuntia albicarpa S. fruits were recorded from 0 to 132 days-after-flowering (DAF) to identify non-destructive maturity-indices. Optimum-ripened fruits were freeze-dried to study physicochemical and functional characteristics of dried and rehydrated pulp. Principal component analysis confirmed growth turned into fruit ripening in DAF 99, and it lasted until DAF 132. Changes in color parameters of the peel correlated with fruit texture and pulp sugar content and taste index (P < 0.01). During freeze-drying, plate temperature had more significant effects than the thickness (P < 0.05). At 30°C, color ΔE between dried and fresh slices augmented, but, texture Δ´s (medium force) between rehydrated and fresh pulp was lower. Color tests could be used to harvest commercially-ripened fruits. Freeze-drying at 30°C improves the rehydrated slices texture regarding thickness maintaining rehydration coefficients.

Highlights

The origin of the cactus species (Opuntia sp.) is tropical or subtropical America and initially were cultivated in semiarid lands of Mesoamerica (Pimienta, 1990)
Pears are the most consumed parts of the plant; it presents peel and a fleshy pulp in variable proportions with numerous seeds in the edible portion (López-Palacios et al, 2015). They are a source of functional compounds such as fiber, hydrocolloids and antioxidant vitamins that are valued for their contribution to a healthy diet and as an ingredient for innovative foods (Sáenz, Sepúlveda, & Matsuhiro, 2004)
The pulp remained unchanged from DAF 0 until day 80 to continue with a pattern of changes identical to FRW, while the PEW changed from the beginning of the study until the DAF 59 and the increases ceased

Summary

Introduction

The origin of the cactus species (Opuntia sp.) is tropical or subtropical America and initially were cultivated in semiarid lands of Mesoamerica (Pimienta, 1990) They are distributed in all continents, where wild or cultivated plants are mainly used as food (Sáenz et al, 2013). Pears are the most consumed parts of the plant; it presents peel and a fleshy pulp in variable proportions with numerous seeds in the edible portion (López-Palacios et al, 2015) They are a source of functional compounds such as fiber, hydrocolloids and antioxidant vitamins that are valued for their contribution to a healthy diet and as an ingredient for innovative foods (Sáenz, Sepúlveda, & Matsuhiro, 2004).

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