História, uso local e caracterização física e química do maracujá - amarelo (Passiflora edulis fo. flavicarpa o. Degener).

Abstract

The popular use of medicinal plants is an activity as old as humanity itself, and has been passed on from generation to generation by communities in order to preserve this traditional knowledge that is gradually being lost. One of these plants is passion fruit, a tropical species originating in the Americas, which has a fruit with a characteristic flavor. Responsible for more than 90% of Brazilian production, it is highly appreciated for its ornamental, medicinal and commercial characteristics. The objective of this study was to present the agricultural history, uses and physical and chemical characteristics of passion fruit (Passiflora edulis fo.flavicarpa O. Deg.) Cultivated in rural communities in the municipality of Jaçanã-RN, as well as to develop a farinaceous product From the fruits of this vegetal resource, to characterize it and to perform a kinetic of drying with the bark of the fruit. The research was developed in the communities of Gurjaú and Flores, in the rural and urban area of Jaçanã-RN, using semi-structured questionnaires containing 10 direct questions to interview rural producers. The data obtained through the interviews were analyzed in a qualitative way, following the model of collective discourse construction. Throughout the work the acronyms P1, P2, P3, P4 and P5 were used to identify the informants. For the quantitative analysis, an organization of information in decades was used for the dates, in addition to the use of descriptive statistics. And for the experimental stage, the physical analysis was measured length, width and thickness of the shell; All chemical analyzes followed the methodology adopted by the Adolf Lutz Research Institute. Statistic 8 was used to analyze drying kinetics. As a result, two of the interviewees (40%) started production between 1995 and 2005, and two (40%) between 2006 and 2016. Three of the participants (60% ) Said they had a difficult beginning of production. Four of these people (80%) have the crop as a source of income, they said that costs are the biggest problem, but said that profit in the end pays off. Each one has a striking and different history in relation to the cultivation of yellow passion fruit. There are gaps in the definition of social memory regarding the beginning of planting of this cultivar in the region (40% of the respondents, n = 2). (60% of the respondents, n = 3) and also did not know who started the production (60% of respondents, n = 3). Three of the respondents (60%) said they would continue to plant more yellow passion fruit in the future. All produce to sell and for consumption (100% juice, 40% mousse and 20% animal feed). For the physical and chemical analysis the following values were found: Mass: 204.5g; Height: 85,5mm; 73.2mm; Conformity index: 1.1; Humidity: 2.8 - flour: 11.8; PH: 3.1 - flour: 4.7; Acidity: 4.3 - flour: 24.0; SST: 16.2 - flour: 7.1: Ash: 8.0 - flour: 17.0; Ratio: 3.4; Yield: 14.3. Ethnobotanical studies and characterization such as the one that was carried out help to draw the attention of the scientific community and the population to the importance of protecting the knowledge and way of life of communities in order to preserve their culture.