Abstract
Pineapple is consumed on a large scale around the world due to its appreciated sensorial characteristics. The industry of minimally processed pineapple produces enormous quantities of by-products (30–50%) which are generally undervalued. The end-of-life of pineapple by-products (PBP) can be replaced by reuse and renewal flows in an integrated process to promote economic growth by reducing consumption of natural resources and diminishing food waste. In our study, pineapple shell (PS) and pineapple core (PC), vacuum-packed separately, were subjected to moderate hydrostatic pressure (225 MPa, 8.5 min) (MHP) as abiotic stress to increase bromelain activity and antioxidant capacity. Pressurized and raw PBP were lyophilized to produce a stable powder. The dehydrated samples were characterized by the following methodologies: chemical and physical characterization, total phenolic compounds (TPC), antioxidant capacity, bromelain activity, microbiology, and mycotoxins. Results demonstrated that PBP are naturally rich in carbohydrates (66–88%), insoluble (16–28%) and soluble (2–4%) fiber, and minerals (4–5%). MHP was demonstrated to be beneficial in improving TPC (2–4%), antioxidant activity (2–6%), and bromelain activity (6–32%) without affecting the nutritional value. Furthermore, microbial and mycotoxical analysis demonstrated that powdered PC is a safe by-product. PS application is possible but requires previous decontamination to reduce the microbiological load.
Highlights
The analysis of the values of the CIE L*a*b* color parameters showed that the samples of the dehydrated pineapple by-product, core, and shell, presented a similar color, in the yellow/green range, with the color of the pineapple core (PC) being lighter (Table 1)
The samples did not show visible differences between pressurized and non-pressurized samples, the color evaluation identified a slight variation in the parameter a*
Abiotic stresses by moderate hydrostatic pressure were demonstrated to be beneficial in enhancing total phenolic content, antioxidant activity, and bromelain activity without affecting the nutritional value
Summary
Pineapple has potential in the fresh-cut form market due to its appreciated sensorial characteristics (flavor, juiciness, and taste) and the demand for immediate consumption [1]. In addition to its sensorial quality, the nutritional properties of pineapple deserve interest since it is a good source of phenolics, and it is rich in antioxidant activity [2]. The consumption of pineapple has health benefits, namely on the digestive system, and helps to maintain a balanced diet [3]. Pineapple has essential minerals such as manganese with important functions in bone formation and enzyme activation, and copper with functions on iron absorption, blood pressure regulation, and heart rate [4]. Pineapple is a source of a mixture of several proteases, namely stem bromelain and fruit bromelain [5,6]
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