Abstract

MURILLO-ROJAS, Andrés; BUSTAMANTE-MORA, Marta; WONG-GONZALEZ, Eric  and  MONTERO-BARRANTES, Manuel. Effect of an enzymatic treatment on the viscosity, betacyanin content and color of a pitahaya pulp (Hylocereus polyrhizus). Cuadernos de Investigación UNED [online]. 2024, vol.16, n.1, pp.149-162. ISSN 1659-4266.  http://dx.doi.org/10.22458/urj.v16i1.5308.

Introduction: Pitahaya is a fruit with an attractive composition for consumers whose pulp has great potential for the development of functional and innovative food products. One of the main challenges is to produce a stable pulp with a viscosity that facilitates its handling during processing. Objective: To evaluate enzymatic maceration conditions that allow improving the rheological properties of pitahaya pulp by reducing its viscosity, with the least possible effect on betacyanins and color. Methods We evaluated the conditions of the enzymatic treatment by measuring the change in the viscosity of the pitahaya pulp, the concentration of betacyanins and the instrumental color using a rotating composite central design, considering two factors: enzyme concentration and maceration time. For the design points, the enzyme concentration was between 109,8g/ton and 640,2g/ton and the time between 1,0h and 3,5h; For the axial points, the minimum level of enzyme concentration was 0g/ton and the maximum was 750g/ton and with respect to time, the minimum was 0,5h and the maximum was 4,0h, being the central point of 375g/ton of enzyme and 2,3h maceration time. Results: The enzyme treatment evaluated allows a significant reduction in pulp viscosity with a low impact on betacyanins (92% average retention), while changes in instrumental color parameters that are not considered negative. Conclusion: The enzymatic treatment allows the viscosity reduction of the pitahaya pulp with little impact on compounds and characteristics of importance in this product. This has potential industrial application for handling and stabilization of a pulp that can be used for the development of various food products, allowing the valorization and use of the fruit.

Keywords : Rheological; properties; valorization; optimization; stabilization; sensory characteristics and innovation.

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