Efecto del sistema de extracción del mucílago de Opuntia ficus-indica sobre las características bromatológicas de Fragaria x ananasa recubierta

Abstract

The main objective of this research study was to evaluate the impact of the Opuntia ficus-indica on strawberries, being a perishable fruit, are commonly stored under refrigeration to attenuate the internal biochemical processes that lead to spoilage. However, despite these measures, damage is still accelerated. Therefore, food innovations, such as food coatings, have been introduced to preserve fruit quality over time. The impact of the Opuntia ficus-indica mucilage extraction system on the bromatological properties of coated Fragaria x ananasa. Strawberries and cladodes in good condition were chosen for the study, extracting the mucilage by two different methods. The coatings were applied to the strawberries using three formulations with dehydrated mucilage (50%, 75% and 90%) and three formulations with liquid mucilage in the same proportions. Subsequently, proximate and complementary bromatological tests were carried out for all treatments, together with a stability evaluation. The food coatings demonstrated ability to reduce common senescence processes in strawberries. It is notable that formulations 3 and 6 showed the best results in the stability tests, suggesting a similarity in their composition due to a higher mucilage content. In addition, an increase in the levels of vitamin C and certain minerals was observed in the strawberries, especially in treatment 6, which represents a positive and nutritious aspect for consumers. According to the similarity it was determined that the best formulation by reducing time and resources was F3 since it did not represent significant differences in relation to formulation 6.