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Banana (Musa sp.) crops have one of the greatest economic impacts in Colombia, with an estimated production of 2.2 million tons in 2019. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of three antibrowning solutions: S1 (citric acid), S2 (citric acid + ascorbic acid), and S3 (citric acid + ascorbic acid + sodium metabisulfite) on the color, moisture, aw, pH, and acidity characteristics of flour from rejected green bananas. No significant differences were found (P>0.05). The values of a* and b* in all samples were in the grey zone. L* and WI presented values close to 50, which could be defined as a flour in a medium range of clarity. The citric acid anti-browning solution was selected based on criteria such as cost and availability. The second part of the study assessed the effect of the storage time (1, 3, 5, 7, 9 and 11 days) at 7 °C on the color and texture of fresh bananas; and pH, instrumental, and sensory color of banana flour. There were differences noticeable for the human eye in the color (ΔE) of the peel from day 3 compared to day 1; while in the pulp, these changes were observed from day 7. Statistically significant differences in instrumental and sensory color properties of banana flour were observed after day 7 (P<0.05). The maximum storage time at 7 °C of fresh green bananas to produce banana flour should not exceed 7 days because color may be affected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Underused crops have been expanding in the market due to their nutritional and antioxidant characteristics. Lulo, or naranjilla, can be considered an underused crop because it is grown on a small scale in Colombia and has high nutritional value. The edaphoclimatic conditions of cultivation of this fruit can influence its post-harvest characteristics. Thus, the objective of the work was to evaluate the antioxidant activity and the physicochemical characteristics of lulo fruit obtained from cultivation in Brazil. The post-harvest variables analyzed were antioxidant activity by ABTS, DPPH, FRAP methods, phenolic compounds, flavonoids, lycopene, β-carotene, ascorbic acid, and physicochemical characteristics of acidity, soluble solids, and ratio. Twenty replicates were used for each variable, including three replicates for antioxidant analyses and two replicates for carotenoids; each replicate consisted of one fruit. The mean and standard deviation were calculated. The FRAP antioxidant activity method showed 81.40 mg Ferrous Sulfate g-1 (dry mass), ABTS 57.00 mg Trolox g-1 (dry mass) and DPPH 14.40 mg Trolox g-1 (dry mass). The flavonoids contents were 1.00 mg Quercetin g-1 (dry mass), which is considered low. Lulo fruit showed to be a good source of β-carotene (7.00 mg 100 g-1), lycopene (3.57 mg 100 g-1) and ascorbic acid (57.71 mg 100 g-1). The fruit is acidic (2.29 g Citric Acid 100 mL-1), with low soluble solids content (5.12%) and low ratio (2.25). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Potato chips are the most widely consumed snack in the world; therefore, they can be used as an ideal carrier for nutrient delivery. The objective of this study is to investigate the effect of impregnating vitamin E, vitamin C, and calcium through vacuum impregnation (VI) on the physico‐chemical, microstructural, and starch hydrolysis (%) in vitro and estimated glycemic index (eGI) of potato chips from a variety grown in Colombia. The fortification process decreased the peak viscosity from 1428 ± 20 cP (unfortified) to 734 ± 27 cP (fortified) and increased pasting temperatures. The swelling power also decreased from 11.36 ± 0.32 g/g (unfortified) to 8.59±0.07 g/g (fortified) after the fortification. Approximately 42% and 63% of the starch is hydrolyzed in the first 10 min of small intestinal digestion for the fortified and control samples, respectively. At the end of in vitro digestion (120 min), fortified potato has 74% starch hydrolyzed, whereas the same is calculated at 95% for control samples. The microstructural characteristics of digesta obtained during in vitro digestion showed that fortified samples have well preserved cell structures. In conclusion, the addition of impregnation compounds led to a lower starch hydrolysis of potato chips with a consequent decrease in eGI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]