The objective of this study was to investigate the physical characteristics and mineral profile of seeds of three Cucurbita varieties, one of the species Cucurbita maxima (variety Crown, one Cucurbita moschata (var. Jacarezinho) and one Cucurbita pepo (var. Italian), in natura and germinated forms. Additionally, perform the drying of the germinated samples at temperatures of 50, 60, and 70°C, evaluating the adjustment by different mathematical models to predict the process, calculate the effective diffusivities, and determine the activation energy and the thermodynamic properties of the samples. The seeds were germinated until 96 hr. Then, the unit mass, apparent specific mass, real specific mass, porosity and unit volume, and the mineral profile were determined. The germinated seeds were crushed and placed to dry with a thickness of 0.5 cm until reaching the equilibrium water content. Germination resulted in an increase in unit mass, unit volume, real density, and porosity; reducing the apparent density. The minerals were presented in different proportions, with emphasis on the calcium content in the Crown variety, potassium and phosphorus in Italian variety, and magnesium in Jacarezinho variety. The Henderson and Pabis modified model was the one that best fitted the experimental data of the three varieties. The effective diffusivities of the germinated seeds increased with increasing drying temperatures. The activation‐energy value was higher in the Crown variety, followed by Jacarezinho and Italian. The greatest enthalpies and entropies were determined in the Crown variety and the highest Gibbs free energies in the Italian variety. Practical Applications The knowledge of the physical aspects, the minerals concentration, and the use of drying germinated pumpkin seeds results in products with good palatability, expanding the possibilities for industrial and commercial use. The drying of agricultural products in a convective dryer makes it possible to reduce the water content to a certain value, minimizing microbiological activity and reducing chemical deterioration reactions, essential to increase shelf life, control waste, and allow the use and consumption of a product with high quality on a large scale. The contribution to the area consists of determining important values for seed processing industries interested in greater energy efficiency and in the precise adaptation of processes and equipment, with a view to reducing costs and maximizing the quality of the final product.

Pitaya and acerola are fruits rich in nutrients and can be used in blends formulation in order to improve the sensory characteristics of both pulps in isolation and complement each other in terms of nutritional aspects. Thus, the aim of this research was to develop different blends of pitaya pulp with acerola and choose the best formulation based on physical-chemical and colorimetric characteristics. Three blends formulations were prepared: F1-90% pitaya and 10% acerola; F2-70% pitaya and 30% acerola; and F3-50% pitaya and 50% acerola. The formulations were evaluated for physical-chemical parameters of water activity, water content, ash, total soluble solids (SST), pH, total titratable acidity (ATT), SST/ATT ratio, ascorbic acid, proteins, lipids, sugars totals, reducers and non-reducers and colorimetric analysis. The obtained data were subjected to variance analysis (ANOVA) and to comparison between means by the Tukey test at 5% probability. The formulation F1 stood out when compared to the others. The parameters pH, soluble solids, ratio SS/ATT, ash, water content, water activity, proteins, sugars, luminosity and hue angle were the ones that gave the formulation F1 the best results. However, it is noteworthy that the formulation F3 presented a greater amount of ascorbic acid and higher values of a, b and chroma in the colorimetric analysis. The use of these fruits allows to obtain an innovative product with excellent nutritional and functional characteristics. The blend is a viable alternative for the use of perishable and seasonal fruits, adding greater economic value to the very promising product to the market.

The present work had as objective to determine the kinetics of drying of the chili pepper, to adjust different mathematical models to the experimental values as a function of the water content and to characterize the same in it’s in natura form and after the drying in the temperatures of 60, 70 and 80 °C. The samples were weighted periodically until reaching the equilibrium. The mathematical models of Wang and Singh, Henderson and Pabis, Newton, Page and Thompson were adjusted to the experimental data. The best adjustment was determined in relation to the highest values of the coefficient of determination (R2) and Mean Square Deviation (MSD). The obtained results showed that the drying of the pepper is influenced by the temperature of the drying air. It is concluded that the model of Henderson and Pabis was the one that best fit to the experimental data. The increase of the drying temperature promoted a reduction in the time required for the peppers to reach the moisture of the hygroscopic balance. The parameters of acidity, lipids and proteins remained close at the different drying temperatures used, however higher when compared to the samples in natura. It can be noticed that ashes and vitamin C have suffered considerable decrease as the temperature increased, as a result of the chemical transformations that occurred in the peppers due to heat exposure and loss of moisture.

Aims: Coconut catole is the fruit of the Syagrus cearenses palm tree, whose pulp is usually eaten in its natural form. The formulation of blends is intended to improve the acceptance of fruit with potential to be exploited. The objective of this work was to evaluate the physico-chemical characteristics of the whole coconut pulp and the blends formulated with the pulp and milk. Place and Duration of Study: The coconut catole (Syagrus cearensis) were collected in the surroundings of location 551'30 "S, 35º21'13 "O, in Rio Grande do Norte. The work was carried out from January to February 2019. Methodology: The formulations were elaborated by mixing the proportions of 30 and 50% of standardized commercial milk with the whole catole coconut pulp. The products were submitted to the analysis of moisture, water activity (aw), titratable total acidity (TTA), total soluble solids (TSS), TSS/TTA ratio, pH, ascorbic acid, ash, lipids, proteins, color (L*, a*, b*), total sugars, reducers and non-reducers. Results: From the results, it was observed that the addition of milk to the pulp resulted in clear samples and that a higher proportion of the milk statistically influenced the results. Conclusion: The mixture of couscous coconut pulp and milk gave the product better nutritional characteristics, especially protein content and lipid reduction. The addition of the milk to the cocoa pulp influenced the results statistically, showing that the addition of the milk contributed to enhance the pulp.

The search for nutritious and practical foods during consumption is one of the challenges of the food industry and Greek yogurt with added fruit meets these needs. Therefore, the aim was to prepare Greek yogurt with the addition of different concentrations of carambola jam, as well as to analyze its microbiological quality and its sensory acceptance. Three formulations of Greek type yoghurts were prepared with the addition of different concentrations of star fruit jam F1 (10), F2 (15) and F3 (20)%, respectively, where they were subjected to microbiological analysis (coliforms at 45 °C, Estaf. coag.positiva (UFC/g) and Salmonella sp.) and sensory analysis, being analyzed the index of sensory acceptance and the intention to buy. The three formulations produced showed excellent microbiological results, that is, all the results obtained are within the standards established by current legislation. With regard to sensory analysis, the formulation F1 (10%) presented the highest acceptance rate in all sensory attributes, with higher values of AI above 85% and with purchase intention close to “certainly would buy the product”. Therefore, the yogurts elaborated in this research have the ideal microbiological safety for consumption, without compromising the consumer’s health and with excellent sensory acceptance