Behavior of the gum from Enterolobium cyclocarpum in the preparation peach nectar

• María Lucía Delmonte Universidad del Zulia, Facultad de Medicina, Escuela de Bioanálisis
• Fernando Rincón Universidad del Zulia, Facultad de Humanidades y Educación, Centro de Investigaciones en Química de los Productos Naturales
• Gladys León de Pinto Universidad del Zulia, Facultad de Humanidades y Educación, Centro de Investigaciones en Química de los Productos Naturales
• Rocío Guerrero Universidad del Zulia, Facultad de Humanidades y Educación, Centro de Investigaciones en Química de los Productos Naturales

Abstract

Enterolobium cyclocarpum, (caro-caro), species widely disseminated in Venezuela, produces gum with high yield. It was studied the behavior of this hydrocolloid as additive in the preparation of peach nectar. It was carried out six treatments using different gum concentration (0.20; 0.30; 0.50; 0.70; 1%) wich were compared with a treatment without gum. There were measured physicochemical characteristics (acidity, pH, soluble solids, viscosity and stability) and sensorial attributes of the product. A random desing of blocks with six repetitions was applied. The results showed that the viscosity exhibited by the product obtained, using the highest gum concentration (1%) increased significatively (P<0.05) in comparison with the values shown by the produt obtained with the treatments using lower gum concentration (0.20; 0.30; 0.50; and 0.70%) and from the control treatment. In addition, it was also observed the lowest sedimentation value of the product obtained with the highest gum concentration. The panel prefered the peach nectar prepared using the highest gum concentration which exhibited a positive correlation with texture (r= 0.95) and flavor (r= 0.88). The results of this investigation support the functionality of E. cyclocarpum gum as additive in the preparation of peach nectar