Elaboração de “cristais” de gengibre (zingiber officinale roscoe), empregando métodos combinados de desidratação

Abstract

Ginger is the rhizome of (Zingiber Officinale Roscoe), its easy propagation and adaptation in various regions of the planet, including Brazil, allowed his greatest commercial use that involves the sectors of food, cosmetics, perfumery and pharmaceutical showing its medicinal and therapeutic properties widespread for thousands of years. In Brazil ginger cultivation is targeted for export. After harvesting, the quality of the rhizomes is decreased due to weight loss, wilting, shrinkage of surfasse, budding, physiological deterioration, pathogen attack and protein changes in physical-chemical compounds and as crude fiber. These factors lead to significant losses in market value and product shelf life on the shelves. Drying is in one of the in natura ginger conservation options, because the high water content (humidity ranging between 80% and 95%) makes it susceptible to deterioration by microbial action. The osmotic dehydration integrated to other conservation factors has produced good quality food of easy maintenance and practicality. The aim of this work is to develop ginger crystals (Zingiber Officinale Roscoe), using combined methods of dehydration, determine the physical and physical-chemical properties of ginger (rhizome), analyze the total phenolic content and evaluate the antioxidant activity employing different methodologies (DPPH* e ABTS*+) in in natura ginger and in “crystals”; realize acceptance tests and purchase intent of ginger crystals and add economic value in Ginger culture. For the preparation of crystals was used in conventional osmotic dehydration and drying in a ventilated oven, for osmotic dehydration were used two hypertonic solution formulations of sucrose, one with 44 ° BRIX, 34 ° C, 120 min. another one with 70 ° BRIX, 30 ° C, 240 min. The obtained results indicate that the pulp of in natura rhizome and ginger crystals present phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity with significant values. Regarding to ginger crystals, the formulation with 70 ° BRIX, 30 ° C, 240 minutes, showed the greater acceptance and purchase intent.