TAPEREBA FRUITS: A COMPARATIVE PHYSICAL-CHEMICAL ANALYSIS

Brazil is a country rich in both animal and plant biodiversity. The Brazilian Amazon, located across a large portion of the country, especially in its northern region, is entirely contained within the Amazon. It is the most important ecosystem in terms of biodiversity, with a variety of tropical fruits. Among these fruits is the taperebá, a highly prized fruit in the region and throughout Brazil. This fruit is consumed fresh or in a variety of ways: juices, creams, cakes, among many others. This study sought to characterize fresh and frozen taperebá pulps for one year to contribute to their characterization. It also employed statistical techniques to determine whether the studied variables varied according to whether the pulp was fresh or frozen. The physicochemical variables proved to be independent of whether the samples were fresh or frozen, except for the pH of the pulps, which also demonstrated moderate acidity. On the other hand, the physical variables of the fruits were significantly different, except for pulp and seed mass, and longitudinal diameter. Statistical techniques were unable to discriminate the samples according to pulp type. Overall, all the pulps investigated were of good physical and chemical quality.