Compostos Bioativos em pêssego (Prunus persica L.), pessegada e em doce em calda de pêssego

Abstract

The Brazilian market for products of temperate climate fruits is very promising, but there is no uniformity on fruit quality, processing failures that favor waste in the field and in the industry, generating correction of defective lots. As other fruits, peach presents bioactive compounds, but so far still not studied, mainly the stability of these compounds against processing. The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of peach processing on the content of bioactive compounds in peach compotes and in sweet peach mass, and evaluate the stability of these compounds during the storage of these products. For this, three cultivars of peach (Prunus persica L.) were used: Santa Áurea, Esmeralda and Maciel, fruits were obtained from five producers of Pelotas / RS, and grown under fruit traceability system, being evaluated during two consecutive harvests. The peaches were processed as sweet peach mass and peach compote, stored and later evaluated. Analyzes of pH, titratable acidity (TA), soluble solids (SS), SS / TA, total carotenoids, individual carotenoids, total phenolic compounds, individual phenolic compounds, vitamin C and total anthocyanin were analysed. The Esmeralda cultivar stood out among the others showing SS / TA ratio: 20; representing excellent quality for processing, followed by cv. Santa Aurea and Maciel. Significant losses of bioactive compounds during the preparation and storage of peaches compotes were observed, with vitamin C (40% loss) and carotenoids (77% loss) the most unstable components. After sweet peach mass processing, no significant losses of phenolic compounds was observed, but the losses were intensified during storage period, where values above 57% losses were observed. The choice of cultivars for preparation of peaches compotes and sweet peach mass, enhanced the sensory, physicochemical and bioactive characteristics.