Development and characterization of release systems ethanol slow for fruit application

• Grant number: 19/09802-9
• Support type: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Effective date (Start): August 01, 2019
• Effective date (End): July 31, 2020
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Materials and Metallurgical Engineering
• Principal Investigator: Daniel Souza Corrêa
• Grantee: Nayara Fernanda Tokashike de Araujo
• Home Institution: Embrapa Instrumentação Agropecuária. Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária (EMBRAPA). Ministério da Agricultura, Pecuária e Abastecimento (Brasil). São Carlos , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Brazilian agribusiness has enormous impact on the country's economy, playing a decisive role in the production and storage of various types of food, including fruits. Despite the significant numbers achieved by the industry in recent years, continued investment in research and new technologies is essential for these advances to continue. In this context, this project aims at the development of systems based on gels and polymer nanofiber mats containing ethanol for the removal and/or control of fruit astringency, which is usually caused by the presence of soluble tannins. In contact with the fruit and after some biochemical processes, ethanol has the capacity to produce by-products capable of condensing the tannins (usually polyphenolic compounds) present in the fruits, delaying or controlling the astringency process. The development of these systems capable of releasing ethanol slowly will be achieved by the technique of blow spinning in solution and by adjusting the experimental conditions employed (such as polymer, flow rate of the polymer solution, concentration, solvent, etc.). Thus, within this project we expect to produce systems initially used for in situ tests that are able to control the process of astringency of fruits.