Qualidade pós-colheita de mandiocas e sua aplicação na obtenção de sorvete

Abstract

Cassava (Manihot esculenta) is one of the preferred foods on the Brazilian table and is among the main agricultural holdings in the country. The most used part of the plant is the tuberous root, which in some varieties has in its chemical composition carotenoids, beta-carotene and lycopene. The objective of this work is to evaluate the postharvest quality of different cassava cultivars and the feasibility of adding these cultivars in the production of ice cream. Cassava were characterized in terms of morphological, culinary, deterioration and physical-chemical parameters. For the evaluation of post-harvest quality and cooking effect, a randomized block design with fourteen cultivars was adopted. To evaluate the effect of storage time on the physical-chemical characteristics and for the preparation of ice cream, a completely randomized design with three cultivars was adopted. The cultivars showed potential for use for table and for the processing agroindustry, due to their morphological characteristics. As for the characteristics “cooking time” and “quality of the cooked pasta”, the white pulp roots presented a shorter cooking time, being ideal for table consumption. The cultivar BRS 397 is the most suitable for crops aimed at commercialization, as it presents less susceptibility to deterioration. The cooking of the roots led to physical and chemical changes, showing differences in color and increased concentration of bioactive compounds compared to fresh samples. The cultivars of yellowish color (BRS 397, BRS 396 A and BRS Cacau) and pink coloration (BRS 400 and BRS 401) presented in their composition functional components, such as carotenoids, lycopene and phenolic compounds. The cultivars BRS 400, Cacau and Jarí did not present significant losses of bioactive compounds until 45 days of storage, and after this period there were variations in the compounds evaluated considering the particularities of each cultivar. The technological application of table maniocs, BRS 400, Cacau and Jarí, for the production of ice cream proved to be viable, adding good nutritional qualities to the final product. Ice creams with the roots of cultivars BRS 400 and Cacau showed higher levels of lycopene and beta carotene. The manufacture of ice cream with the addition of cassava is an alternative to take advantage of this culture, adding value to the roots and also, publicizing the potential of these cultivars in the national and international scenario.