Potential of Agro-industrial Use of Aceroleira and Pomegranate Fruits for Liquor Production

Abstract

The alcoholic beverages sector has economic relevance in Brazil, with emphasis on the growth of consumption of fruit-based liquors, which drives the use of fruits that are still little explored technologically, such as acerola and pomegranate. The aim of this study was to prepare liquors based on acerola and pomegranate in order to assess their physical-chemical quality. The formulations were subjected to physical-chemical analysis (pH, acidity, density, alcohol content, ash, dry extract, total soluble solids, reducing sugars, non-reducing sugars, total sugars, ascorbic acid content and total phenolic compounds content) and the data submitted to analysis of variance and the means, compared by the Tukey test (p < 0.05). The liqueurs showed satisfactory values ​​of pH (3.76 - 3.97), acidity (29.33 - 32 meq/L), density (1.08 - 1.09 g/mL), ash (0.04 - 0.05 %), dry extract (25.53 - 26.95 g/L), as well as alcohol content (24 % v/v) and total soluble solids (30.30 - 30.80 °Brix) within the required parameters by law, in addition to high values ​​of total sugars (48.15 - 48.85 %), reducing sugars (14.39 - 14.78 %) and non-reducing sugars (32.65 - 32.66 %), being called of dry liquors. The acerola liquor showed levels of ascorbic acid (719.39 mg/g) and total phenolic compounds (2874 mg GAE/L) significantly higher (p < 0.05) than the levels of ascorbic acid (192.67 mg/g) and total phenolic compounds (1100 mg GAE/L) of mixed acerola-pomegranate liquor. In this way, the results of the analyzes showed that the elaborated liqueurs presented a good source of bioactive compounds with great consumption potential in the market.