Journal of Food Processing & Technology

Abstract

Microscopic and Chemical Characterization of Flour of Fruits: An Alternative Source for Supplemental Feeding

Ana Maria Pinto dos Santos, Rosemary Duarte Sales Carvalho, Ademir Evangelista do Vale, Jeane Santos Lima, Ivanice Ferreira Santos, Uenderson Araujo Barbosa, Hilda Costa dos Santos, Clarissa Duarte Sales Carvalho and Margareth da Silva Ribeiro

The present study aimed to characterization microscopic and chemical of four samples of fruit flours: eggplant (Solanum melongena), banana (Musa spp), passion fruit (Passiflora spp) and grape (Vitis vinifera). For the determination of chemical composition acid digestion was via a microwave-assisted using nitric acid and hydrogen peroxide and subsequently analysed by inductively coupled plasma Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP OES). The validation of method was evaluated by analyzing a certified reference material (CRM), Rice Flour NIST 1568a. The vitamin C contents of the sample flour were determined by the AOAC procedure. The microscopic analyzes were realized with an optical microscope Olympus SZH10 coupled to a digital camera Cannon Power Shot A460. Average mineral concentration in flour samples (in mg/100 g) were: 0.30 to 367 (Ca); 3.38 to 1666 (K); 0.16 to 216 (Mg); 0.023 to 136 (Na); 0.010 to 9.95 (Cu); 0.050 to 27.87 (Fe); 0.052 to 6.55 (Mn); 0,011 to 6,04 (Zn) and 2,9 to 70,4 (Vitamin C). The principal component analysis (PCA) showed that the variables vitamin C and Na have negative correlation with Mn and these variables contribute to discrimination of samples of banana and passion fruit flour’s. Characteristic plant tissue components that compose the fruit flours were observed as well as the irregular addition of starch.