Avaliação físico-química e compostos bioativos de farinhas obtidas de batatas-doces de polpa roxa

Abstract

Sweetpotato (Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam.) is grown and consumed all over the country. It is a vegetable easily cultivated with wide adaptation to varying environmental conditions, and is a source of nutrients and antioxidants, important for human health. Developing new products from that root, such as sweet potato flour, is a way to add value to production and is an alternative to commercialization. The objective of this study was to evaluate the physicochemical quality, total anthocyanin and total phenolic compounds contents of flours obtained from six genotypes of purple-fleshed sweetpotatoes produced at Embrapa Vegetables, comparing the drying methods in oven and freeze-drying (lyophilization). Dry matter, total soluble solids, color, total anthocyanins and phenolic compounds were analyzed. Fresh sweetpotatoes were also assessed. Thermal processing (drying in study and freeze-drying) caused losses of anthocyanins and phenolic compounds. The genotypes CNPH1399 and CNPH0005 showed the highest dry matter content, which is an important characteristic to obtain higher processing yields. The genotypes CNPH1399 and CNPH1405 maintained the highest levels of anthocyanins and phenolic compounds in fresh sweetpotato and drying in oven and freeze-drying. The highest loss of these compounds, as well as change in color, occurred when the freeze-drying method was used. Oven drying was the most suitable method for producing purple-fleshed sweetpotato flour.