Utilización de quitosano en la elaboración de néctar de tuna de la microempresa Granjero Guaneño

Abstract

The research entitled “Use of chitosan in the elaboration of prickly pear nectar from the Granjero Guaneño microenterprise’’ was conducted in the Escuela Superior Politecnica de Chimborazo, with different levels of chitosan (0, 150, 250 and 350 mg/L), at the Food Processing and food microbiology Laboratories of the Faculty of Animal Sciences and Water Quality and Instrumental Chemistry Laboratories of the Faculty of Sciences. 16 experimental units were used, which were subjected to the following statistical analysis: Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), Tukey’s mean separation (P 0.05), regression analysis and correlation and sensory analysis with the affective hedonic scale. As chitosan levels increase (0, 150, 250 and 350 mg/L), the physical chemical characteristics improved, since at 21 days with 350 mg/L, turbidity decreased to 11.75 NTU, while the colorimetry was 316.25 PCU and the Brix grades were 11.50, the pH between 4.03 and 4.00 remained constant and the acidity was 0.15 and also with sensory analysis scores of 4.35, 4.30, 4.30 and 4.50 for color, smell, taste and aroma respectively and there was no presence of moulds, yeasts and total coliforms in the treatments studied, except in the control that recorded 1 CFU/ml of mesophilic aerobes, however, it is within the acceptance limits established by the NTE INEN 2337 standard, when evaluating the life of the prickly pear nectar at 21 were not found alterations of the product, in its pH, microbiological and sensory with 350 mg/ L of chitosan. The best economic profitability was found with treatment 1 (150 mg/ L) of chitosan with a cost benefit of 1, 13 USD, although it does not receive high benefits such as 350 mg/L. it is recommended to take advantage of the beneficial properties of chitosan using it in the prickly pear nectar of the Granjero Guaneño microenterprise.