Acerola Pulp Research Articles

Impact of acerola pulp on physical and chemical properties of lactose-free sweet bread during storage

The aim of this work was to evaluate the effect of the total replacement of water with acerola pulp on the physical and chemical properties of sweet bread without lactose over five days of storage. Analyses of mass loss, soluble solids, titratable acidity, pH, color, hardness, vitamin C, total phenolics and antioxidant activity were performed daily, for a period of five days, whereas proximate composition was determined just at the same day of baking. The proximate composition was not affected by the replacement of water for acerola pulp. The values of soluble solids and titratable acidity were higher in enriched bread, while pH exhibited the opposite behavior. Enriched bread is softer and more yellowish than control bread, became harder, orange and darker over storage. The levels of vitamin C and total phenolics, as well as the antioxidant activity of the enriched bread was higher than control bread (vitamin C increased from 0 to 33.67 mg/100 g, the total phenolics increased more than fourfold and the antioxidant activity tripled). However, these values gradually decreased over time. The enrichment of free-lactose sweet bread with acerola pulp was successful, providing an alternative for those who aspire to having a healthier diet/ life and for specific diets for those who have difficulty digesting lactose.

Acerola (Malpighia emarginata) pulp: characterization and stability of anthocyanins under different conditions

Tropical fruits provide a high economic potential and their inclusion in the diet can provide health benefits. In this sense, this study aimed to evaluate the proximal composition, bioactive compounds, antioxidant activity, and stability of anthocyanins of acerola pulp in the absence and presence of light at temperatures of 7 and 21.7°C. The results for the proximal composition (g/100 g) were 93.49 moisture, 0.04 protein, 0.09 lipid, 0.60 ash, and 6.28 carbohydrates, totaling a 28.29 kcal/100 g caloric value. For total bioactive compounds, the results were 3.22 µg/g chlorophyll, 29.71 µg/g carotenoids, 3.74 g/100 g flavonoids, and 6.12 mg/100 g phenolic compounds. Acerola pulp showed high antioxidant activity by DPPH and ABTS methods with values of 6.17 μmol/g and 3.19 mM TEAC/g, respectively. Regarding the stability of anthocyanins, in acerola pulp stored away from light and at a temperature of 7°C, these pigments remained more stable than when subjected to light and a temperature of 21°C. Thus, it was possible to perceive that, in addition to the acerola being important for the food industry, storage under low temperatures and the absence of light can contribute to greater stability of anthocyanin pigments.

Experimental and numerical study of an alternative technique for fruit processing: Rotary drum with inert bed for acerola pulp dehydration

Acerola is renowned as a potent natural source of vitamin C. However, its high perishability presents challenges for harnessing its health benefits. In this study, we explored an alternative method, the Rotary Dryer with Inert Bed (RDIB), to transform acerola pulp into a powdered form. Through both experimental and numerical investigations, we quantified how various operational variables affect RDIB's performance in acerola pulp dehydration. In numerical simulations using the Discrete Element Method (DEM), we analyzed the number and forces of particle collisions. We combined DEM results into a single response using a desirability function, pinpointing the optimal configuration: a drum with three continuous flights, each 25 mm long. Subsequently, experimental tests with this optimal setup considered temperature (T), inert fraction (FI), and maltodextrin concentration (M) effects on drying yield and bioactive compound levels. Multi-response optimization aimed to maximize both yield and bioactive compounds, yielding the optimal conditions: M = 6.25%, FI = 46.19%, and T = 77.2 °C. Thus, the results of this study show that RDIB efficiently dehydrates acerola pulp and has promising potential for industrial applications, facilitating the production of high-quality fruit powder.

An opportunity for acerola pulp (Malpighia emarginata DC) valorization evaluating its performance during the block cryoconcentration by physicochemical, bioactive compounds, HPLC–ESI-MS/MS, and multi-elemental profile analysis

The present study evaluated the effect of cryoconcentration of pulp blocks of acerola (Malpighia emarginata DC). The study evaluated cryoconcentration in three stages. The cryoconcentrated samples, the ice fractions, and the initial pulp were evaluated for physicochemical composition, bioactive composition, and multielement profile. The cryoconcentrated sample obtained in the third stage of cryoconcentration showed the best results for the concentration factor, process efficiency, total soluble solids content, red color intensity, and increasing of the macro and micronutrients: Cu, Ca, S, Sr, K, Mn, Na, P, Mg, Fe. All stages presented good performance in the total soluble solids content, increase in the titratable acidity of the concentrates, and progressive increase in the intensity of the red color. Generally, higher levels of total phenolic and antioxidant activity were found for the 2nd and 3rd concentrates. The phenolic activity showed an increase of 166.90% in the 3rd stage concentrate compared to fresh pulp, and the antioxidant activity was 112.10% by the ABTS method and 131.60% by the DPPH method, both in the 3rd stage concentrate. The major individual polyphenols were Ferulic acid, Protocatechuic acid, and Taxifolin, with significant increases in the concentration of the compounds in the 2nd and 3rd stage concentrates. In addition, the contents of potentially toxic metals were below detection limits. During the cryoconcentration process, there was a decrease in the values ​​of vitamin C content, moisture content, density, and elements Cu, Sr, and Zn.

Incorporation of Powdered Jambolan and Acerola Pulp in Concentrated Yogurt: PhysicoChemical Characteristics, Texture, and Consumer Acceptability

ABSTRACT Yogurt is a source of healthy bacteria and proteins. Consumption of fruits is beneficial for health. In this sense, the objective of this work was to evaluate the physicochemical composition, texture, and sensory acceptance of concentrated yogurts with addition of mixed pulp of jambolan and whole and powdered acerola. Five concentrated yogurts were prepared: F1 – Yogurt Control, F2 – Yogurt with 20% mixed pulp, F3 – Yogurt with 10% freeze-dried pulp, F4 – Yogurt with 10% lyophilized pulp with maltodextrin, and F5 – Yogurt with 10% dehydrated pulp (in oven). Yogurts with the addition of powdered mixed pulps showed a reduction in water activity, water content, and syneresis, in addition to an increase in acidity and ash. The incorporation of mixed pulp into yogurt increased the content of bioactive compounds. The texture profile showed that the F4 yogurt presented the best results. In the sensorial evaluation, the yogurts tested were well accepted by the consumer.

Bacteriological assessment of fruit pulp sold in supermarkets in São Raimundo das Mangabeiras, Maranhão State, Brazil

Natural fruit pulp is highly appreciated because it retains the flavor and nutrients of the fresh fruit. However, fruit pulp is susceptible to contamination by pathogenic bacteria, mainly because of improper handling and storage. Therefore, this study evaluated and quantified the presence of pathogenic bacteria in fruit pulp sold in São Raimundo das Mangabeiras, Maranhão, Brazil. Two fruit pulp samples each of açaí (A and B), acerola (C and D), cajá (E and F), cashew (G and H), and passion fruit (I and J) were obtained from supermarkets and subjected to the following microbiological analyses: enumeration of mesophilic bacteria using plate count agar; quantification of total (TC) and thermotolerant (TTC) coliforms using the multiple tube technique; qualitative detection of Escherichia coli on eosin methylene blue agar and that of Salmonella on xylose lysine base agar and enteric agar. Mesophilic bacteria were found to grow in all the samples, with the highest value obtained for the acerola pulp (sample D; average: 1.08 x 105 colony-forming units g-1). However, all samples were in accordance with the Brazilian legislation for this parameter. The most probable number of colonies (MPN g-1) of TC and TTC were ≥1,100 in açaí (sample A), cajá (sample E), and cashew (sample G) pulps, which is in disagreement with the maximum value allowed. E. coli and Salmonella were not found to grow in the samples evaluated in this study. Collectively, the data indicate inadequate handling and storage in the production chain of fruit pulp sold in the municipality of São Raimundo das Mangabeiras, suggesting that the population in the region is exposed to a probable risk of food contamination.

Physicochemical Aspects, Bioactive Compounds, Phenolic Profile and In Vitro Antioxidant Activity of Tropical Red Fruits and Their Blend.

The combination of fruit pulps from different species, in addition to multiplying the offer of flavors, aromas and textures, favors the nutritional spectrum and the diversity of bioactive principles. The objective was to evaluate and compare the physicochemical characteristics, bioactive compounds, profile of phenolic compounds and in vitro antioxidant activity of pulps of three species of tropical red fruits (acerola, guava and pitanga) and of the blend produced from the combination. The pulps showed significant values of bioactive compounds, with emphasis on acerola, which had the highest levels in all parameters, except for lycopene, with the highest content in pitanga pulp. Nineteen phenolic compounds were identified, being phenolic acids, flavanols, anthocyanin and stilbene; of these, eighteen were quantified in acerola, nine in guava, twelve in pitanga and fourteen in the blend. The blend combined positive characteristics conferred by the individual pulps, with low pH favorable for conservation, high levels of total soluble solids and sugars, greater diversity of phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity close to that of acerola pulp. Pearson's correlation between antioxidant activity and ascorbic acid content, total phenolic compounds, flavonoids, anthocyanins and carotenoids for the samples were positive, indicating their use as a source of bioactive compounds.

Production and Characterization of Dehydrated Acerola Pulp: A Comparative Study of Freeze and Refractance Window Drying

Acerola is a perishable fruit with high vitamin C levels and an attractive nutrition property. The goal of the present work was to produce dehydrated acerola pulp with preserved vitamin C, selecting freeze-drying and refractance window (considered a novel and promising drying method) as suitable technologies. The final properties of dehydrated pulps using the drying technologies freeze-drying and refractance window were compared: i) water activity, ii)moisture content, iii) hygroscopicity, iv) color parameters, v) microstructure, vi) antioxidant activity, and vii) ascorbic acid stability (30 °C, 75% RH). The dried acerola pulps exhibited low moisture, water activity, and hygroscopicity regardless of the drying technology. However, the pulp dehydrated by refractance window presented significantly higher antioxidant activity than the freeze-dried pulp, with higher ABTS•+ (1,838.60 μM TE/g dehydrated pulp) and FRAP (1,290.00 μM TE/g dehydrated pulp) values. The ascorbic acid stability values were also higher for the pulp dried by the refractance window, which showed a final content of 98.03 mg/100 g dehydrated pulp after ten days of storage. The refractance window is a more appropriate technology to dehydrate acerola pulp with high vitamin C content, antioxidant activity, and ascorbic acid stability than freeze-drying.

Drying in foam mat of mixed pulp of jambolan (Syzygium cumini L.) and acerola (Malpighia emarginata D. C.): effect of additives and temperature

While acerola is a source of minerals and vitamins, jambolan has a high content of phenolic compounds. The objective of this work was to evaluate the quality of the mixed jambolan, and acerola pulp obtained by drying them in a foam mat. Three foams were produced, composed of mixed pulp + 1% albumin and 0.5% additives (F1: xanthan gum; F2: carboxymethylcellulose; and F3: guar gum), subjected to agitation to form the foam and distributed in trays with 0.5 cm thick and dehydrated at 50, 60, 70 and 80 °C. The experimental design was completely randomized in a 3 x 4 factorial scheme (3 formulations and 4 drying temperatures) with three replications for the analyses. All powders showed low water content and water activity. All dry samples showed high levels of ascorbic acid and bioactive compounds. However, the increase in drying temperatures resulted in a reduction in acidity. The powders with xanthan gum (F1) generated higher levels of proteins and flavonoids, while the samples with guar gum (F3) had higher levels of solubility and; powders with carboxymethylcellulose (F2) had higher contents of anthocyanins and phenolic compounds, standing in nutritional and functional components among the formulations for drying in a foam mat

Bebida láctea fermentada com semente de chia e xarope de acerola: caracterização físico-química, microbiológica e sensorial

Abstract This research aimed to develop a fermented dairy beverage using whey as a dairy base with chia seed (Salvia hispanica L.) and acerola syrup (Malpighia emarginata) and to evaluate physicochemical parameters (pH, water activity, total soluble solids, acidity, syneresis), proximate composition (moisture, ash, proteins, milk fat, carbohydrates, and energy value), β-carotene, ascorbic acid, microbiological and sensory parameters. The acidity results ranged from 1% to 1.27%; pH from 3.86 to 4.11; soluble solids from 15.67 to 21.6; water activity from 0.93 to 0.99; syneresis from 46.67 to 68.08; they presented satisfactory conditions for thermotolerant coliforms. Salmonella spp. showed cell viability of L. acidophilus: E4 (2.9 x 107 to 9.7 x 107 ) and E8 (1.3 x 107 to 8.6 x 107), however Bifidobacterium spp. did not show any viability. The drinks had a good acceptance rate by the tasters (7.0). The humidity results were from 74.21% to 74.34%; ash from 0.42% to 0.55%; proteins from 2.93% to 2.99%, milk fat from 1.47% to 0.93%; carbohydrate from 20.97% to 21.19%; energy value from 108.83% to 105.09% and β-carotene from 12.33% to 8.19%; and ascorbic acid ranged from 222.23 (mg/100g) to 418.10 (mg/100g). It is concluded that formulated dairy drinks are considered a viable alternative for the food industry, with the differential of including chia seed and acerola pulp, due to their good sensory acceptance, physical-chemical stability, satisfactory sensory analysis, microbiological standards suitable in the 21-day storage period.

Microencapsulation of Bifidobacterium longum 51A cells by spray drying and its incorporation in acerola (Malpighia emarginata) pulp powder

SummaryMarket of functional foods grows intensely, such as of fruit juice containing probiotics. However, the survival of the microorganism can be compromised by the low pH of such matrix, and the way of minimizing this acid stress is the use of microencapsulation techniques such as by spray drying. In this study, three formulations were tested for the encapsulation of Bifidobacterium longum 51A, and the viability was evaluated during storage after the atomization process and after addition in acerola pulp powder. All formulations offered equivalent protection of the bifidobacteria just after microencapsulation. When microencapsulated cells were incorporated to acerola pulp powder, a higher protection for B. longum 51A viability was observed when cellulose acetate phthalate was used after 30 days of storage both at room temperature and refrigeration. Concluding, acerola pulp matrix can be used as an alternative vehicle for probiotic administration, even when stored at room temperature.

Shelf Life of Bioactive Compounds from Acerola Pulp (Malpighia spp.) through Freeze-Drying and Microencapsulation

Acerola is a tropical fruit with a large industrial and commercial appeal due to its organoleptic qualities and bioactive compound-rich nature. Thus, as bioactive compounds (BC) stability is of great interest in the food industry, assessment of preserving techniques to prolong shelf life has become imperative. Hence, the purpose of this study was to evaluate how storage affects BC conservation in microencapsulated and lyophilized acerola pulps over 180 days. For this matter, antioxidant tests, physical-chemical analyzes, and vitamin C analysis by mass spectrometry were performed. Results indicated that microencapsulation better preserved the antioxidants in acerola pulp compared to the other preservation technologies employed. This is due to the greater BC concentration in the microencapsulated, as well as the pH reduction. Furthermore, over 180 days, microencapsulation better preserved the target compounds in acerola pulp compared to lyophilization, as evidenced by the superior content of BC in the former treatment, making it an appealing option for the food sector.

Doces em massa elaborados com polpa de frutos tropicais e mesocarpo do maracujá amarelo (Passiflora edulis f. flavicarpa): características físico-químicas e sensoriais

As frutas são essenciais para uma dieta saudável, pois oferecem um aporte considerável de fibras, vitaminas e minerais, além de outros nutrientes. Contudo, são necessários métodos de conservação para elevar sua vida útil, e a elaboração de doces se apresenta como uma boa opção. A indústria de frutas gera muitos resíduos orgânicos como cascas, sementes e talos. As cascas de maracujá, por exemplo, podem ser mais bem aproveitadas, pois o mesocarpo é rico em pectina, substância que é utilizada na fabricação de doces e geleias. Objetivou-se com este estudo elaborar doces em massa de maracujá, acerola e cajá a partir do mesocarpo de maracujá amarelo (Passiflora edulis f. flavicarpa). As formulações foram desenvolvidas no IFMA, Campus Codó. Foram realizadas análises físico-químicas, da composição centesimal e testes sensoriais com 120 consumidores. Os doces apresentaram características físico-químicas e composição nutricional satisfatórias. Quanto à análise sensorial, a formulação elaborada com polpa de acerola obteve melhores médias para impressão global, assim como no teste do ideal, porém todas as formulações obtiveram notas acima da média central para todos os atributos avaliados. Conclui-se que o uso do mesocarpo do maracujá amarelo e polpa de frutas tropicais é viável para elaboração de doces em massa.

Perfil da qualidade de polpas de frutas comercializadas no Município de Limoeiro do Norte, Estado do Ceará, Brasil

O consumo de frutas processadas aumentou, devido, principalmente, a busca constante por alimentação saudável e pelo avanço na tecnologia de alimentos. Assim, torna-se de grande importância avaliar a qualidade destes produtos, os quais devem atender as exigências do consumidor e da legislação vigente. O presente trabalho teve como objetivo avaliar a qualidade microbiológica, físico-química e microscópica de polpas congeladas de acerola, cajá, caju e maracujá comercializadas no município de Limoeiro do Norte - CE. Foram realizadas análises microbiológicas (contagem de coliformes totais e termotolerantes, contagem de bolores e leveduras e pesquisa de Salmonella sp.), análises físico-químicas (acidez titulável, pH, sólidos solúveis, ratio e vitamina C) e análise microscópica para detecção de matéria estranha. De acordo com as análises realizadas conclui-se que as amostras de polpas de frutas analisadas apresentaram-se satisfatórias para Coliformes Termotolerantes e Salmonella sp., indicativo de condições higiênicas-sanitárias adequadas. Para contagem de bolores e leveduras apenas uma marca apresentou 100% das amostras em conformidade com a legislação. Quanto aos parâmetros físico-químicos avaliados apenas as amostras de polpa de acerola apresentaram-se adequadas quanto os padrões de qualidade exigidos. Foi possível realizar a detecção de matéria estranha, dentre elas a presença de sujidades e partes de insetos.

English

The present work consists of the evaluation of antimicrobial activity and inhibition of the enzyme acetylcholinesterase (AChE) of fixed oils and hexane extracts of nine fruits with the following native names: abiu (Pouteria caimito), acerola (Malpighia emarginata), araca (Psidium cattleianum), bacupari (Rheedia gardneriana), biriba (Rollinia mucosa), camu-camu (Myrciaria dubia), fruta-do-conde (Annona squamosa), graviola (Annona muricata) and tapereba (Spondias mombin L.). Different evaluations were carried out with different parts of the fruits, pulp, seed and barks. The antimicrobial assay was carried out with the following microorganisms: Candida albicans ATCC 18804, Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 29212, Bacillus cereus ATCC 11778, Escherichia coli ATCC 25922 and Salmonella typhimurium ATCC 14028. Of these microorganisms, the best inhibition results were obtained for yeast C. albicans with percent inhibition of 94.46% by tapereba barks extracts, acerola barks (87.12%), araca seed (85.23%) and tapereba pulp (85.22%). Against the bacteria tested, percent inhibition was low, showing that the extracts have good antifungal selectivity. Some extracts were able to inhibit the enzyme AChE and high percentage of inhibition was observed for the oils, especially from biriba barks, with 86.39% inhibition, tapereba seeds with 62.17% and acerola pulp with 52.18%. Methods of Multivariate Analysis were applied through Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Hierarchical component analysis (HCA), to establish correlations and groupings between the data obtained, justifying 82.3% of cases for pulps, 73.2% for the barks and 65.7% for the seeds according to the PCA. Key words: Bacteria, yeasts, Alzheimer, principal component analysis (PCA), hierarchical component analysis (HCA).

Characterization of rutin, phenolic compounds and antioxidant capacity of pulps and by-products of tropical fruits

In recent years the consumption of tropical fruits has increased, mainly due to their health benefits. This study aimed to identify and quantify the content of rutin using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and other bioactive compounds in the pulp and in the by-products of tropical fruits from Brazil (acerola, guava, mango and caja-umbu). The levels of total polyphenols (Folin-Ciocaulteau), yellow flavonoids, anthocyanins and total antioxidant activity (ABTS method) were also analyzed. The results shows the large amount of bioactive compounds found in by-products, that have beneficial properties for health, and which are mostly wasted. The presence of rutin was observed in all pulps and by-products, but it was highest in the by-product of caja-umbu and acerola pulp. This study provides new information about the content of rutin in the pulp and by-products of tropical fruits, which is essential for future applications in the food industry. Moreover, it contributes to the recovery of by-products from the agro-industrial process.

Effect of dehydrated residue from acerola (Malpighia emarginata DC.) fruit pulp in lamb diet on intake, ingestive behavior, digestibility, ruminal parameters and N balance

This research evaluated the effects of acerola pulp residue in the lamb diet on intake, digestibility, ingestive behavior and ruminant fermentation. The treatments involved replacing ground corn by acerola fruit pulp residue at levels of 0, 80, 160, 240 and 320 g/kg DM of the total diet. To evaluate the intake, digestibility, N balance and ingestive behavior of lamb, 25 Santa Inês non-castrated male lamb (average age of 9 months and average initial BW of 35.10 ± 4.96 kg) were distributed in a completely randomized design in metabolic cages for a duration of 21 days. To evaluate the ruminal parameters, five fistulated Santa Inês male lamb (BW of 40 ± 3.70 kg) were distributed in a 5 × 5 Latin square design for 75 days. The dehydrated residue from acerola fruit pulp inclusion in lamb diets did not affect the intake of dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP), effective intake nutrients, CP digestibility, N intake, N fecal excretions, N urinary excretions, N balance, NDF eating ratio, ruminal fluid ammonia nitrogen concentration of lamb. However, there was a linear increase (P <0.05) in NDF intake, time spent eating, N° bolus chewed/day and ruminal pH due to the inclusion of acerola fruit pulp. The inclusion of acerola pulp residue linearly decreased (P <0.05) intake of EE, NFC and TDN; digestibility of DM, EE, NDF, NFC; DM eating ratio, amount (g) of DM chewed/bolus and ruminal fluid protozoa population. The time spent ruminating presented a quadratic increase (P <0.05) and time spent idling and NDF rumination efficiency presented an antagonistic behavior. Inclusion of the dry residue of dehydrated acerola fruit pulp up to 80 g/kg is recommended to replace ground corn in the supplement concentrate because despite it reduces very small protozoa population ruminal and nutrient digestibility, it did not quantitatively affect the concentration of ammoniacal nitrogen although it stimulated rumination, thereby improving ruminal environment.

Spouted‐bed drying of acerola pulp (Malpighia emarginata DC): Effects of adding milk and milk protein on process performance and characterization of dried fruit powders

AbstractIn this work, the production of acerola (Malpighia emarginata DC) based powder formulations by spouted bed drying was investigated. Dairy matrices (milk powder, reconstituted milk and concentrated whey‐protein) were used as drying adjuvants in order to obtain an ingredient‐like ready‐to‐use final product. High‐density polyethylene particles were used in the spouted bed dryer and an intermittent feeding strategy was adopted. Physicochemical attributes of both sample formulations and final powders were assessed, and the water sorption isotherms of powdered matrices were determined at 25°C and fitted to the GAB Model. The performance of the dryer was evaluated in regard to the fluid dynamics and the thermal efficiency of the process. Spouted bed dried matrices produced with acerola pulp and milk powder presented the highest powder production rates (0.0895 g powder/min), production yields (24.75%) and satisfactory thermal efficiency (40.4%). The use of milk powder as adjuvant resulted in a significant ascorbic acid retention (72.9%) after thermal processing. The sorption isotherms showed that the addition of dairy adjuvants was responsible for reducing the equilibrium monolayer moisture of powdered samples.Practical ApplicationBrazil is one of the world's largest producers of acerola fruit. The production of fruit‐flavored products is a trend to the food industry that aims to exploit the desirable marketing, flavoring and nutritional characteristics of fruits to increase products' acceptance and consumption. The motivation of this work was to evaluate the spouted bed drying as an appropriate processing strategy for producing food ingredients based on acerola and using alternative dairy‐based drying adjuvants. The data shown here can be used for the development of new acerola‐based food products and for clarifying the role that dairy adjuvants play on the physicochemical attributes of powdered matrices.

Hygroscopic behavior of acerola powder obtained by spray-drying

Acerola is a tropical fruit characterized by a high content of vitamin C. The food sorption isotherms reflect the way that the water binds to the food. This study aimed to fit mathematical models to the adsorption isotherms of the acerola pulp powder obtained by spray-drying, and. It was used acerola pulp containing 17.1% (m m -1 ) maltodextrin, and a spray-dryer with drying air temperature of 154°C. The mathematical models of GAB, BET, Henderson, and Oswin were applied to determine the isotherms, using temperatures of 25, 35 and 45°C. The hygroscopicity, degree of caking and solubility analysis were performed to characterize the powders. The powder showed hygroscopicity of 5.18, degree of caking of 3.67 and solubility of 94.88%. The evaluated mathematical models showed mean relative errors ranging from 10.18 to 29.13% and a coefficient of determination (R 2 ) ranging from 0.939 to 0.977. At 25°C, the Oswin model was the best fitted, whereas at 35 and 45°C the best fitting was obtained by the Henderson model. Type III (J-shape) isotherms were obtained, typical of high-sugar foods. The powder showed a low hygroscopicity and degree of caking in addition to a high solubility.

Powdered beverage mix with acerola pulp, whey and maltodextrin

Mixing acerola pulp with whey, a by-product of the dairy industry, led to this study, whose aim was the development of a powdered beverage mix of acerola pulp, whey and maltodextrin (DE20). To determine the proportions of the mixture, a simplex-centroid mixture design was used. Different proportions of the mixture were dehydrated in a spray dryer at 175 °C. The results were evaluated in relation to hygroscopicity, moisture and ascorbic acid. Higher proportions of whey and pulp increased hygroscopicity and moisture, while maltodextrin reduced these parameters. An increase in pulp content raised the levels of ascorbic acid. The proportions (m m-1) of 50% acerola pulp, 25% whey and 25% maltodextrin resulted in significantly lower hygroscopicity (8.25 g 100 g-1) and moisture (1.66%), and appreciable levels of ascorbic acid (1492.49 g 100 g-1). The results indicated that the powder obtained shows good stability after 75 days of storage, with 9.20%, 1.79% and 1146.13 g 100 g-1 of hygroscopicity, moisture and ascorbic acid respectively.