Elaboração e caracterização de uma cerveja artesanal estilo American Blonde Ale, incorporada com extrato das folhas de Monteverdia ilicifolia (Mart. Ex Reissek) Biral

Abstract

Beer is one of the most consumed beverages in the world, and its popularity has been growing in recent years, especially craft beers, whose numerous styles and types have conquered the market. The different beer production processes and the technologies involved allow a large number of formulations, including the production of beers with different inputs. In this context, the present work aimed at the production and characterization of an American Blonde Ale style craft beer enriched with Monteverdia ilicifolia (Mart. Ex Reissek) Biral extract. This plant popularly known in Brazil as espinheira-santa is rich in flavonoids, tannins, and triterpenes, which have antioxidant, healing, and gastric protective properties. The beverage was produced in an artisanal way using a triblock stove system in the mashing stage. Agrária and Blumenauer pilsner malts, Cascade T-90 pelletized hops, and Saccharomyces cerevisiae Safale US-04, a high-fermentation yeast, were used in brewing. Fermentation was carried out in a fermentation tank with airlock at 20 °C for 7 days. The beers produced were characterized according to the quality parameters: Color (EBC), bitterness (IBU), alcohol content (ABV), final pH, real extract, original extract, apparent extract, inorganic matter (ash) content, foam stability, phenolic compounds, total phenolics content, and antioxidant potential by the ABTS, DPPH and FRAP antioxidant methods. The control beer and the beer with the addition of plant extract showed the following respective physicochemical parameters: Color (10.33 and 9.60 EBC), bitterness (24.05 and 20.85 IBU), alcohol content (5.21 and 5.18 ABV), final pH (4.57 and 4.43), real extract (5.02 and 4.82 ºPlato), apparent extract (2.32 and 2.40 ºPlato), original extract (12.21 and 13.43 ºPlato), inorganic matter content (0.18 and 0.16 %), foam stability (78.99 e 81.48 %). The content of total phenolic (365.99 mg GAE/L) and total polyphenolic compounds (248.73 mg GAE/L) increased after addition of the plant extract. Among the bioactive compounds, the contents of the flavonoids catechin (25.63 mg/L), epicatechin (15.09 mg/L) and caffeic acid (0.88 mg/L) increased with the addition of the plant extract. The addition of the plant extract potentiated the ABTS and DPPH radical scavenging capacity by 40% and 14.71%, respectively. Similarly, the ferric reducing antioxidant power improved by 40.36%. The addition of M. ilicifolia extract enriched the beverage in phenolic compounds possessing biological properties and accompanied by an enhancement in antioxidant capacity. The use of M. ilicifolia extract in the production of beers enriched with bioactive compounds is technically feasible and enables innovation in the beer specialty market.