Amora-preta: caracterização da nova cultivar BRS Xingu e extração de compostos fenólicos com micro-ondas de hidrodifusão e gravidade

Abstract

The blackberry has a high nutritional value, besides being a source of phenolic compounds that brings health benefits. These compounds vary between different cultivars of the same species and are usually extracted with organic solvents that are harmful to health and nature. The objective of this work was to characterize the composition of a new blackberry cultivar, BRS Xingu, and to verify if the microwave hydrodiffusion and gravity (MHG) provides the removal of a blackberry extract with high concentration of phenolic compounds and antioxidant capacity. Thus, the centesimal composition, color, titratable acidity, pH, soluble solids, identification and quantification of phenolic compounds and antioxidant capacity of the new cultivar of blackberry and the other three known cultivars in two harvests, 2016 and 2017, were determined. We obtained extracts of the Tupy blackberry by organic solvent and through the MHG, and we evaluated the yield, time, phenolic content and antioxidant capacity, as well as the phenolic compounds present in the MHG extract were identified. The microbiological quality of the MHG extract and co-product was evaluated and the economic analysis of the process was also performed. The cultivar BRS Xingu was highlighted in relation to the content of anthocyanins and condensed tannins, which was higher than the others analyzed. The phenolic compounds were efficiently removed by the by MHG procedure. The MHG extract showed a reduction one decimal place of the total aerobic mesophylls content compared to in natura fruit and it was confirmed the absence of total and thermotolerant coliforms and salmonella. There are also higher phenolic content and antioxidant capacity compared to exhaustive extraction, as well as low manufacturing cost and higher speed. In addition, the co-product obtained in the process had high phenolic concentrations and the absence of total mesophiles, of salmonella, of total and thermotolerant coliforms. This work contributed to the knowledge of blackberry composition, especially the new cultivar BRS Xingu, and explored a fast, economical and ecological method for the extraction of compounds that present bioactive potential.