Conservação de pinhões minimamente processados por meio da utilização de revestimentos comestíveis com características antimicrobianas

Abstract

The pinion, Araucaria angustifolia seed, has high energy and nutritional value, being an important carbohydrates and fiber source, beyond significant amounts of potassium and vitamin C. Although it presents significant nutritional value, its consumption still little expressive due the long cooking time, because its hard to peel, and susceptible to sprouting process, larvae infestation and fungal deterioration. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the conservation of minimally processed pinions by edible coverings with antimicrobial characteristics. The pinions were selected, washed, sanitized with sodium dichloroisocyanurate (2 g.L-1) for 15 minutes, rinsed, sanitized again, centrifuged and submitted to the different treatments: Treatment A – Control (no treatment pinions), Treatment B – Chitosan (1,5% p/v) and glycerol (1,0%, glycerol p/v); Treatment C – Xanthan Gum (0,5% p/v), clove essential oil (0,2% p/v), Tween 80 (0,1% p/v) e glycerol (1% p/v). Afterwards, they were dried under forced ventilation, packed in polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and stored at 4 ºC, for 9 days. It were performed mass loss assessments, total titratable acidity, reducing sugars, ascorbic acid content, firmness, color, physiological deterioration, respiratory rate, fungal count, psychrotrophic bacterias, positive Staphylococcus coagulase and thermotolerant coliforms. In a general way, regardless of the treatment, it was possible to observe a similar behavior in the characteristics of the pinions, in relation to the increase in mass loss, in reducing sugars, in oxygen concentration and in physiological deterioration. In addition, it was observed the reduction of acidity, carbon dioxide concentration, as well as the maintenance of color parameters and the absence of growth of thermotolerant coliforms and positive Staphylococcus coagulase. However, different behaviors were observed in vitamin C content and firmness. The minimum processing did not increase the respiratory rate of the pinions, but did not restrain the process of seed maturation. Of the covers evaluated, the chitosan made possible to obtain pine nuts with higher levels of vitamin C, as well as less physiological deterioration and counts of psychrotrophic microorganisms. Thus, this study contributes to the stimulation of pinion consumption, with the minimum processing technique combined with the use of edible coating, a processing alternative to increase product lifespan and provide greater microbiological safety for this seed.