Caracterização de frutos de mangabeira (Hancornia speciosa Gomes) com ênfase na identificação de compostos voláteis

Abstract

Mangaba (Harcornia speciosa) has aroused the interest of consumers, industry and the scientific community mainly because of its intense flavor and high nutritional value. The objective of this study was to determine the physical, chemical and physicochemical characteristics of mangaba fruit obtained from four regions of Northeast Brazil (Abais - Sergipe, Arembepe - Bahia, Caueira - Sergipe and Estiva Nova - Bahia) at two maturation stages, half-ripe and ripe, with emphasis on identification of volatile compounds present in the pulp of these tropical fruits. Biometric analysis of texture, color, quality parameters and chemical composition, was performed besides the improvement of the method of Solid Phase Microextraction (SPME) with subsequent identification of volatile compounds using gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The fruits weighed between 11,59 to 42,06 g; the fruit diameter varied from 25,52 to 39,71 while the fruit length had values between 30,08 and 46,45 cm. The seeds of mangaba weighed from 1,97 to 10,69 g, thed number of seeds varied from 4,80 to 18 and pulp yield ranged from 54,99 to 70,84%. The parameters a*, b* and L* color of the fruits varied in shades of red, yellow and green, as the color of the pulp ranged from shades of red and yellow. Texture analysis was used to characterize the maturation, and the half - ripe fruits showed the highest values ranging from 21,62 to 37,45 g, whereas the ripe fruit texture ranged from 5,44 to 11,04 g. The acidity varied from 1,28 to 1,73%; pH from 3,24 to 3,54; the soluble solids content from 10,33 to 16 Brix. The moisture content ranged from 83,41 to 85,66%, ash 0,34 and 0,47%, reducing sugars from 1,65 to 2,72%, total sugars 2,71 to 5,58% and ascorbic acid 275,21 to 627,34 mg/100g. After improving the SPME method of extraction the fiber chosen was one DVB/CAR/PDMS, the weight of the pulp mangaba was standardized at 4,2 g, the extraction temperature was 46 °C and time for 40 minutes. Chromatographic analysis revealed the present of 38 compounds among these, 14 of were esters, 9 alcohols, 5 aldehydes, 5 terpenes, 2 acetals, 1 ketone and 1 acid. The esters were the most abundant group in all samples in both the number of compounds and the average percentage while area 3-methyl-3-buten-1-ol, acetate was the major compound. The Principal Component Analysis (PCA) of physico-chemical characteristics and of volatile compounds showed a large variation in the characteristics of fruits obtained from different regions showed that there is a large variation in quality parameters of mangaba fruit obtained from different regions.