Sacarificação simultânea a fermentação alcoólica do tamarindo

Abstract

Tamarind is a fruit originated from equatorial Africa and India, grown in regions with hot or temperate climates. It is an ideal crop for semi-arid regions, especially in areas with prolonged drought. It stands out for presenting excellent nutritional qualities and for its pleasant acid-sweet aroma and flavor. The use of tamarind for fermentation is poorly investigated. The objective of this work was to evaluate the influence of temperature (X1), concentration of enzymes (X2) and yeasts of the genus Saccharomyces cerevisiae (X3) on the alcoholic content (Y) of fermented tamarind in an acid medium. To evaluate these factors, a factorial design with a central point associated with the response surface methodology (RSM) was used. The first order polynomial equation, which represents the adjusted model for the investigated response variable, considered the studied factors significant to explain alcohol production, with R2 = 0.98 and p-value <0.05. The conditions optimized for variables (X1), (X2) and (X3) by RSM were 30 ºC, 250 mg/L and 15 g/L, respectively. The alcohol content obtained under these conditions was 38 mL/L, with a pH of 2.76 and residual reducing sugars of 0.49 g/L. The phenolic compounds in the fermented products were 246 mg EAG/L. The tamarind pulp showed to be suitable for alcoholic fermentation without any additive or correction of pH of the must, with its fermentation depending on the temperature used in the process.