INDUSTRIAL AND NUTRITIONAL POTENTIAL OF TATURUBÁ (POUTERIA MACROPHYLLA) FROM THE BRAZILIAN LEGAL AMAZON

The Brazilian Legal Amazon, with its vast biodiversity, is a crucial source of native fruits, offering promising properties for both health and the food industry. Among these fruits, taturubá (Pouteria macrophylla) stands out for its sweet flavor and high soluble solids content, making it ideal for both fresh consumption and industrial applications. This study aims to characterize, the peel/pulp fraction of taturubá, revealing its nutritional potential and industrial advantages. The fruits were collected in Araguatins, Tocantins, between December 2022 and January 2023, selected based on full maturation. Physicochemical analyses of color (digital colorimeter), pH (bench pH meter), soluble solids (manual refractometer), titratable acidity, and water activity (Aw at 25ºC) were performed. The proximate composition was determined according to AOAC methods: moisture (drying at 50ºC), ash (incineration at 550ºC), protein (Kjeldahl), crude fiber, and lipids (Soxhlet with hexane as solvent). The total carbohydrate content was calculated by difference, and the caloric value was estimated using 9 kcal/g for lipids and 4 kcal/g for proteins and carbohydrates. All analyses were performed in triplicate, with results expressed as mean ± standard deviation. The peel/pulp fraction presented a yellow-orange color (b*: 24.96; a*: 8.40; Hue: 71.40). The pH (5.96 ± 0.03) and titratable acidity (1.16 ± 0.05 g.100g⁻¹) indicated mild acidity, suitable for fresh consumption. The sweetness was highlighted by the high soluble solids content (45 ± 0.01%) and carbohydrates (34.94 ± 0.01 g.100g⁻¹). The portion analyzed was low in calories (157.39 kcal), with moderate moisture (58.46 ± 0.94 g.100g⁻¹) and low Aw (0.307 ± 0.01). The results indicate that the taturubá has great potential for consumption in natura state and industrial application with the production of derivatives such as juice, sweets and jellies, which would overcome the obstacle of seasonality, making it possible to have products from this fruit throughout the year.