ACEROLA MEAD: DRINK RICH IN BIOACTIVE AND AROMATIC COMPOUNDS

Mead is considered the oldest fermented alcoholic beverage in the world. However, the production and consumption of this drink in Brazil are not widespread, probably for its chemical and sensory characteristics (especially bioactive and volatile compounds) have been little studied. This work aimed to produce acerola mead, using bee honey and acerola fruits from the Brazilian Northeast, and evaluate its chemical and aromatic characteristics. The must (1.5L) consisted of honey diluted (21.5°Brix) and pH 4.3; 0.03% (w/v) of supplementation (vit. B1, cellulose, diammonium phosphate, and ammonium sulfate), 1g/L of freeze-dried Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast, and 10% (w/v) of ripe acerolas. The fermentation was performed at 29.5°C for 144 h. After that, the drink was clarified under refrigeration (10°C) for 31 days and filled in glass bottles. The mead was analysed (in triplicate) for alcohol content, total acidity, fixed and volatile acidity, reduced dry extract (RDE), total reducing sugars (TRS), total phenolic content in mg of gallic acid equivalent (GAE)/L and antioxidant activity (AA) by DPPH, ABTS, and FRAP methods. The mead aromatic profile was evaluated for SBSE/GC-MS technique and Odor Activity Value (OAV) was obtained dividing the concentration by the odor threshold. The beverage had an alcohol content of 11.97% (v/v); total, volatile, and fixed acidity of 71.89, 9.77, and 62.09 meq/L, respectively, RDE of 29.26 g/L and TRS of 11.50 g/L. These parameters are in accordance to standards established by Brazilian Legislation. The drink also showed significant phenolic content of 444.77 mg GAE/L and AA of 139.52, 734.69, 5320.62 mg of Trolox/L for DPPH, ABTS, and FRAP, respectively. A total of 74 volatile compounds were identified, of which 22 contributed significantly to the aromatic potential, since that OAV was equal or above 1. In conclusion, acerola mead proved to be a drink rich in aromatic, phenolic and antioxidant compounds.