Dados do Trabalho

Título

DEVELOPMENT OF TAIOBA AND AGAR-AGAR-BASED LEATHERS AS A SUSTAINABLE PLANT FOOD ALTERNATIVE

Introdução

Leathers are a promising alternative in the food industry, especially given the increasing demand for plant-based foods. The use of unconventional edible plants (UEP), such as taioba, stands out as a significant source of phenolic compounds, and their inclusion in leather production offers a nutritious option and an opportunity to explore sustainable ingredients rich in antioxidants, aligning with the goals of sustainable development (SDGs).

Material e Métodos

Therefore, the main objective of this work was the production of leathers by tape casting using taioba puree (TP) at different concentrations (60 g TP and 80 g TP / 100 g of leather-forming mass) and agar-agar (2 g of agar-agar per 100 g of leather-forming mass).

Resultados e Discussão

TP was produced by steam cooking the leaves in a combined oven (98°C, 100% steam for 1 hour), followed by cutting with a cutter (3.000 rpm for 5 min). The leathers were characterized in terms of water activity, pH, color parameters (L*, chroma a*, and chroma b*), and total phenolic compound content. Regardless of the concentration of taioba puree used in leather production, they maintained Aa <0.73 and pH below 6.5, suggesting good stability, important to avoid the growth of microorganisms and ensure product food safety. As for color parameters, there was an increase in brightness (25.90b – 28.59a) and chroma b* (1.20b – 2.03a) with the increase in TP concentration, however, leathers showed a tendency to green coloration, possibly due to the presence of chlorophyll. Leathers produced with 80 g TP / 100 g of leather-forming mass showed a significantly higher total phenolic compound content (408.82±22.24a mg GAE/100 g of leathers) compared to those produced with 60 g TP / 100 g of leather-forming mass (353.27±15.11b mg GAE/100 g of leathers).

Conclusão

This increase may be attributed to the greater availability of phenolic compounds present in taioba puree. Thus, leathers can be considered a potential source of total phenolic compounds and an alternative that meets the goals of SDGs while promoting innovative product options.