RODRIGUES D. L.; http://lattes.cnpq.br/5502761393410279; RODRIGUES, Danilo de Lucena Rodrigues
Abstract:
Consumers have been looking for healthier foods that provide a higher quality of life due to
their nutritional and functional characteristics, caused by the presence of compounds such as
vitamins, antioxidants and minerals. Mixed beverages have been used in order to improve the
nutritional characteristics of certain juices, by complementing nutrients provided by different
fruits and increasing the nutritional characteristics of different juices. The objective of this study
was to develop and process mixed beverage formulations, characterize physicochemical
properties, bioactive components, antioxidants, sensory acceptance, and evaluate their stability.
The study was subdivided into two experiments. The first experiment evaluated six different
formulations of mixed beverages in the proportion of 40% pulp and vegetables, using pineapple,
melon, castanet, mint, hibiscus powder and ginger root as raw materials, and 60% mineral
water. After the development of the six formulations of the mixed drinks, they were submitted
to physicochemical, bioactive, antioxidant and sensory evaluations. The second experiment was
based on the best results of the sensory evaluation of experiment I and the three formulations
with the best acceptance were chosen to be stored for 0, 10, 20, 30 days under refrigeration
conditions (~10 oC). Evaluations during storage were performed every 10 days regarding
physicochemical characteristics and bioactive components. And every 15 days for
microbiological evaluations. For both experiments, a completely randomized design was used
and the results were submitted to analysis of variance. When significance was detected for the
F test, the data were compared using Tukey's test at the 5% probability level. Based on the
results of chapter II, it was found that the mixed beverage formulations developed presented
positive sensory attributes, achieving a good acceptance among the tasters, especially the F1,
F3 and F4 formulations. The characterization of the pulps of the fruits and vegetables used in
the formulations yields good results for the physicochemical characteristics and bioactive
components. There was a significant variation in the physicochemical characteristics during the
storage period, verifying that the F1 and F4 formulations showed better quality during storage,
especially for the pH and acidity values, within the desired limits to avoid product spoilage and
ensure its food safety. Based on the experiment in chapter III, it was observed that the
formulations of the mixed beverages showed significant variations in the levels of bioactive
compounds over the storage periods. There was a tendency for these compounds to degrade,
2 Orientadores: Prof. Adriana Ferreira dos Santos, Dra; Maíra Felinto Lopes, Dra.
x
especially after 30 days of storage, possibly due to exposure to light, oxygen and intrinsic
characteristics of the formulations. Despite the lower values than in some previous studies, the
formulations remained within the established microbiological standards, evidencing the
efficacy of the hygiene practices adopted. In this way, it highlights the importance of the choice
of formulations and storage conditions in the preservation of bioactive compounds and in
ensuring the microbiological quality of the final products.
