Thermosonication applied on camu–camu nectars processing: Effect on bioactive compounds and quality parameters

Abstract

Camu–camu is a red berry rich in bioactive compounds such as ascorbic acid and anthocyanins. In this study, the main objective was to evaluate the effect of thermosonication on the physicochemical changes of camu–camu nectars, alterations such as those in quality parameters (pH, titratable acidity, soluble solids and cloud value), vitamin C, antioxidant activity, anthocyanin content, phenolic compounds, enzymes (PPO and POD) color parameters (L*, a*, b* and ΔE*) and microbiological quality. The thermosonication improved the bioavailability of the bioactive compounds, increased the cloud value and maintained the physicochemical properties of the camu–camu nectars. The enzymatic activity was reduced with increasing time and temperature processing. No microorganisms were observed after thermosonication processing. This study shows that thermosonication could be employed as a preservation technique for fruit nectar processing where bioactive compounds retention is desired.