Caracterización fisicoquímica y reológica de la pulpa de borojó (Borojoa patinoi Cuatrec.) y productos alimentarios derivados

Abstract

Tesis doctoral (Lectura 18/12/2014). Director: José María Franco Gómez (Universidad de Huelva). Tribunal: Pedro Partal López (presidente); Felipe Cordobés Carmona (secretario); María Jesús Hernández Lucas (vocal). Programa Interuniversitario de Doctorado en Tecnología de losProcesos y Productos Químicos. Este trabajo se enmarca dentro del campo de la formulación y caracterización reológica de pulpas de frutas y productos alimentarios derivados. En concreto, la pulpa fresca de borojó (Borojoa patinoi Cuatrec.) proveniente de la Provincia de Los Ríos (Ecuador), se utilizó como materia prima para la formulación y desarrollo de productos derivados como mermeladas y batidos, estudiando sus propiedades nutricionales, fisicoquímicas, microbiológicas y reológicas, así como algunos parámetros sensoriales. Se realizó una completa caracterización fisicoquímica y reológica tanto a la pulpa fresca de borojó como a las formulaciones desarrolladas de mermeladas y batidos. Como resultado de esta investigación, los conocimientos generados sobre el comportamiento de la pulpa de borojó (Borojoa patinoi Cuatrec.) podrían ser utilizados en el procesamiento industrial de dicha pulpa. Como resultado de esta investigación, finalmente, se proponen una serie de formulaciones que podrían ser potencialmente comercializadas.

This doctoral thesis was done in the framework of development and rheological characterization of fruit pulps and derived food products. Specifically, the fresh pulp of borojó (Borojoa patinoi Cuatrec.) from the province of Los Rios (Ecuador) was used as raw material for the formulation and development of products such as jams and smoothies, studying their nutritional, physicochemical, microbiological and rheological properties as well as some sensorial parameters. A full physicochemical and rheological characterization of both borojó fresh pulp and derived jams and smoothies formulations was perfomed as a result of this research, the knowledge generated could be applied to the industrial processing of this pulp. Attending the great variability of rheological data available for tropical fruits pulp, the major challenge of this research was to fully characterize the rheological behavior of borojó pulp (Borojoa patinoi Cuatrec.) and some derived food products such as jam formulations, with the addition of different pectin concentrations, and smoothies with different solid content. In general, in addition to the physicochemical and rheological characterization of these products, a sensory analysis was performed and the influence of some formulation parameters and temperature on the rheological behavior was analyzed. As a result of this investigation, finally, a series of formulations that could be potentially commercialized was proposed. Borojó pulp (Borojoa patinoi Cuatrec.) has a low pH and important levels of carbohydrates and calcium, and its microbiological quality is optimal, with counts of microorganisms that are within the allowed range according to regulations. Besides this, borojó pulp behaves like a non-Newtonian shear thinning fluid, also with gel-like characteristics. Temperature does not significantly influence the rheological behavior of borojo pulp.