Calidad fisicoquímica de frutos de guayaba (psidium guajava l.) recubiertos con mucílago de cactus, almacenados

Abstract

In this research the effect of an edible coating based on cactus mucilage (Opuntia elatior Miller) on the quality of guava fruits (Psidium guajava L) was evaluated. A total of 300 fruits with physiological maturity, uniform in size and color, free of mechanical damages and / or diseases, were divided into three groups, control, and two formulations of cactus mucilage. For treatments T1 and T2 (10 and 20% w / v), mucilage extracted from cactus cladodes was used. The fruits were immersed in the coatings for 2 min and the control was inmersed in distilled water. They were stored at 10 ± 1°C for 16 days. Four replications by treatment were analyzed, at 4, 8, 12 and 16 days of storage. The following physicochemical parameters were evaluated: color parameters (luminosity, hue and chroma), water content, total soluble solids / acidity (TSS / acidity) and reducing sugars content. The results indicated that the luminosity and chroma were lower in the 20% coated fruits and increased during storage, whereas the hue showed higher values in the treated fruits and decreased during storage. The coated fruits at 20% presented higher values in water content. The statistical analysis showed similar results regarding the treatment factor on the ratio TSS / acidity and the content of reducing sugars. The values of the ratio were increased during the storage and the content of reducing sugars slightly decreased. The results suggest that cactus mucilage could infl uence some quality attributes of guava, delaying ripening during storage.