Gaseous composition in the conservation of uvaia: effects on the profile of bioactive compounds and antioxidant activity

Abstract

Although little known and cultivated, uvaia (Eugenia pyriformis Cambess), a fruit native to the Atlantic Forest, has great potential for consumption by the Brazilian population. It has a differentiated flavor and aroma, in addition to the high content of bioactive compounds that can stimulate fruit consumption. However, its short shelf life limits fresh consumption, revealing the need for research to understand its post-harvest conservation. The use of combined technologies such as refrigeration and controlled atmosphere can prolong its shelf life as well as provide important data for the development of modified atmosphere packaging. This project aims to determine the effects of gaseous composition on conservation, on bioactive compounds and on the antioxidant capacity of uvaia. Experiments will be carried out with alteration of the gaseous composition of O2 and CO2, separately, followed by experiments with the best combinations of the two gases. The experiments and analyzes will be carried out at the Laboratory of Postharvest of Horticultural Products (ESALQ/USP), with fresh mass, color, soluble solids, total titratable acidity, pH, respiratory activity and ethylene production, ethanol content and acetaldehyde, organic acids, total soluble sugars, total phenolic compounds, total carotenoids and by HPLC, total flavonoids, vitamin C, antioxidant capacity by the ABTS method, DPPH, ORAC and HOCl sequestration. The results will be submitted to analysis of variance (ANOVA), Tukey test (5%) and Kruskal-Wallis test (5%). It is expected to discover the best gaseous concentration to extend the shelf life of uvaia, as well as the effects of the atmosphere on the bioactive compounds and antioxidant capacity of uvaias