This study aimed to evaluate the chemical composition, identify the bioactive compounds and measure the antioxidant activity present in blackberry, red raspberry, strawberry, sweet cherry and blueberry fruits produced in the subtropical areas of Brazil and to verify that the chemical properties of these fruit are similar when compared to the temperate production zones. Compared with berries and cherries grown in temperate climates, the centesimal composition and physical chemical characteristics found in the Brazilian berries and cherries are in agreement with data from the literature. For the mineral composition, the analyzed fruits presented lower concentrations of P, K, Ca, Mg and Zn and higher levels of Fe. The values found for the bioactive compounds generally fit the ranges reported in the literature with minor differences. The greatest difference was found in relation to ascorbic acid, as all fruits analyzed showed levels well above those found in the literature.

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For a sweetener to successfully replace sucrose in food formulations, studies must first be conducted to determine the concentrations of the sweeteners to be used and their equivalent sweetness compared with sucrose. After establishing the optimal concentration of each sweetener, it is necessary to determine which is more similar to sucrose. The objective of this study was to determine the equivalent amount of different sweeteners, necessary to promote the same degree of ideal sweetness in mixed fruit (marolo, sweet passion fruit and soursop) jam and to characterise the time-intensity profile and consumer acceptance. With respect to the mixed fruit jam containing 40% (w/w) of sucrose, sucralose presented the highest sweetening power, being 1033.59 times sweeter than sucrose, followed by sucralose/acesulfame-K/neotame 5:3:0.1 (982.80), sucralose/steviol glycoside 2:1 (862.67), sucralose/acesulfame-K 3:1 (847.45) and sucralose/thaumatin 1:0.6 (284.29). The sweeteners had a time-intensity sweetness profile similar to sucrose and a timeintensity bitterness profile different from sucrose but similar among themselves. In relation to sensory acceptance, a significant difference between the low-sugar jam and the traditional jam was not observed. Sweeteners in mixed fruit jam V. R. de Souza et al. Sucralose/ acesulfame-K/ neotame (5:3:0.1) 0.8434 0.6070 0.979 S = 6.9727C 0.6070 Figure 2 Time-intensity profile of mixed fruit jam samples of sucrose and each sweetener for sweetness (a) and bitterness (b).

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