Dados do Trabalho

Título

UNLOCKING THE POTENTIAL OF NATIVE BRAZILIAN FRUITS FOR DEVELOPING NOVEL LOW-ALCOHOL FERMENTED BEVERAGES

Introdução

Brazil boasts a vast biodiversity, including native fruits abundant in phenolic compounds and antioxidant properties. In the southern region, the red araçá, butiá, and jabuticaba stand out. While utilizing fruits for alcoholic beverages is traditional, there's a growing demand for healthier options with reduced alcohol content. In this context, beverages like kombucha have gained popularity due to their perceived health benefits and the adaptability of microorganisms to various substrates. This study aims to harness the potential of native Brazilian fruit pulps to develop fermented beverages with lower alcohol content using kombucha microorganisms.

Material e Métodos

A kombucha base comprising green tea (5 g/L) and sucrose (70 g/L) was fermented for 6 days at 25 °C, with 10% of this solution serving as inoculum. A range of aqueous extracts incorporating 10% red araçá, butiá, or jaboticaba pulp and 70 g/L sucrose as fermentation substrates were prepared and fermented at 25 °C. Fermentation kinetics were monitored at intervals of 0, 2, 5, 7, and 10 days, assessing parameters such as pH, total titratable acidity, and color. Substrate utilization and metabolite production were analyzed by HPLC, while the Folin-Ciocalteu method and ORAC assay quantified total phenolic content and antioxidant activity, respectively. Statistical analysis utilized ANOVA at p < 0.05, followed by Tukey's test.

Resultados e Discussão

The decrease in pH (up to 2.5) and increase in acidity indicated fermentative activity and microbiological safety. Sucrose hydrolysis was evident, yielding low ethanol levels (up to 5.42 g/L) and moderate acetic acid production (maximum 6.12 g/L). Notably, fermentation of red araçá and jaboticaba extracts led to significant phenolic content enhancement and satisfactory antioxidant activity.

Conclusão

In conclusion, this study demonstrates the feasibility of developing low-alcohol fermented beverages from various Brazilian native fruit pulps, featuring heightened phenolic compounds, antioxidant potential, and reduced sugar concentration.