Se evaluó el efecto del tratamiento térmico a 80°C durante 1 minuto (tratamiento H) y este mismo tipo de tratamiento combinado con adición de sacarosa (tratamiento SH) sobre la calidad química y sensorial de puré de arazá durante 4 meses de almacenamiento a -20°C. Además, se incluyó un control sin tratamiento térmico ni sacarosa (control C). Los parámetros químicos evaluados fueron: vitamina C, compuestos fenólicos totales (TPC) y actividad antioxidante (AoA) medida por los métodos de la capacidad de reducción férrica del plasma (FRAP), ácido 2,2'-azino-bis (3-etilbenzotiazolina-6-sulfónico) (ABTS) y 1,1-difenil-2-picrilhidrazil (DPPH). La calidad sensorial se evaluó con un pánel entrenado. Después de cuatro meses de almacenamiento congelado el tratamiento SH fue más efectivo que el H en el control de la calidad química. SH proporcionó valores de AoA-FRAP (89%) y contenido de vitamina C (87%) similares, como también mayores valores de TPC (145%), AoA-ABTS (272%) y AoA-DPPH (115%) al compararlos con el control C antes del almacenamiento congelado. La calidad sensorial del puré SH (15±1) y del puré H (16±1) después de 4 meses a -20°C fue comparable a la del puré C antes del almacenamiento congelado (18±2). El uso de sacarosa combinado con tratamiento térmico y almacenamiento congelado preserva la calidad sensorial y química de puré de arazá.

The effects of a 80°C, 1 minute thermal treatment (H treatment) and of the same treatment combined with sucrose (SH treatment) on the chemical and sensory qualities of arazá purée were evaluated during 4 months of storage at -20°C. For the control, an untreated sample (C) was included. The chemical qualities evaluated were vitamin C content, total phenolic compounds (TPC), and antioxidant activity (AoA), which were measured with the ferric reducing ability of plasma (FRAP), 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS), and 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), while a trained panel was used for the sensory quality evaluation. After 4 months of frozen storage, SH was more effective than H at controlling the loss of chemical quality. SH provided a similar FRAP-AoA (89%) and vitamin C content (87%), as well as a higher TPC (145%), ABTS-AoA (272%), and DPPH-AoA (115%), when compared to C before frozen storage. The total sensory qualities in both the SH purée (15±1) and the H purée (16±1) after 4 months at -20°C were comparable to those of the C purée before the frozen storage (18±2). Therefore, using sucrose combined with a thermal treatment and subsequent frozen storage preserves the chemical and sensory qualities of arazá purée.

Una de las mayores causas de pérdidas poscosecha de frutos de pitaya amarilla es su ablandamiento excesivo, el cual ha sido documentado previamente cuando la fruta es almacenada a temperaturas de cosecha o después de refrigeración. Además, tratamientos de choque térmico antes del almacenamiento refrigerado ofrecen control en el ablandamiento de estos frutos. Diferentes experimentos fueron llevados a cabo para evaluar el papel de algunas enzimas degradadoras de pared celular en el ablandamiento de frutos de pitaya amarilla: almacenamiento a 18 °C (TA) y refrigeración con choque térmico previo (ChT-R). Se incluyó también un tratamiento refrigerado control, sin choque térmico (control-R). Si midió el color de la corteza, la firmeza y las actividades de poligalacturonasa (PG), celulasa (CEL) y xilanasa (XIL). La evaluación del color indicó que los frutos almacenados a TA alcanzaron su madurez comercial luego de seis días. Luego de 12 días de almacenamiento a TA el pardeamiento y ablandamiento excesivo afectaron negativamente la calidad de los frutos. El pardeamiento y ablandamiento excesivo fueron detectados también en los frutos control-R cuando se movieron de 2 a 18 °C. Un ligero pardeamieno fue observado en los frutos ChT-R. Estos frutos alcanzaron su madurez comercial luego de 24 días de almacenamiento (nueve días luego de terminado el almacenamiento refrigerado). La actividad de XIL se asoció al ablandamiento en los frutos almacenados a TA y ChT-R. No se observó una clara correlación entre las actividades de PG y el ablandamiento, como tampoco entre CEL y el ablandamiento.

One of the major causes of yellow pitaya fruit loss during its marketing is its excessive softening, which has been previously documented when the fruit is stored at harvest temperature or after refrigeration. Furthermore, its excessive softening has been controlled by the application of heat shock treatments before refrigeration. Different experiments were carried out to evaluate the role of cell wall degrading enzymes on yellow pitaya fruit softening: storage at 18 °C (RT) as well as refrigeration with previous heat shock treatment (HS-R). A refrigerated control, without heat shock, was included (control-R). Peel color, firmness, poligalacturonase (PG), celulase (CEL) and xilanase (XIL) activities were measured. RT fruits reached the commercial ripeness after six days, as indicated by the color evaluation. After 12 days of storage at RT browning and excessive softening negatively affected the fruit quality. Browning and excessive softening were also detected in the control-R fruit when moving from 2 to 18°C. Minor browning was found in the HS- R fruit. HS-R fruit was full ripe 24 days of storage (nine days after finishing the refrigerated storage). XIL activity was associated to the softening in the RT and HS-R fruits. No clear correlation was observed between PG and softening neither between CEL and softening.

The effects of the extraction system (50% methanol or 50% methanol pH 2.0), volume/material ratio, temperature, time and extractions with 70% acetone were evaluated in the total phenolic compounds (TPC) extraction and in antioxidant activities (AA) using FRAP and ABTS assays in guava fruit. The best yield was obtained when 0.5 g of guava were extracted first with 20 mL 50% methanol and then four times with 20 mL 70% acetone during 30 min at 50 °C. Among the different trials guava fruit exhibited high levels of AA as well as TPC.

Some physicochemical parameters, vitamin C, total phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity (AA) measured by ABTS, FRAP and DPPH methods were determinated in four different varieties of ripe guava produced in Colombia. Samples were statistically similar in their titratable acidity. Soluble solids were statistically similar and higher in "Pear", "Pink Regional", and "White Regional", but lower in "Apple" guavas. Vitamin C was statistically lower in "Pear" guava. Phenolics, ABTS-, FRAP-, and DPPH-AA were statistically lower in "Apple" guava if compared in wet basis. "Pink Regional" and "White Regional" contained the highest levels in vitamin C, phenolics and antioxidant activity.