Francisca Moises De Sousa

The mesquite tree (Prosopis juliflora) is cultivated across 500,000 hectares in the semi-arid region of Brazil, primarily aimed at recovering degraded areas in the northeastern part of the country, which represents 15.7% of the national territory. However, its economic potential remains underutilized. Mesquite pods are particularly rich in carbohydrates, making them a promising raw material for bioethanol production. This study investigates the production of first-generation bioethanol from mesquite pods as feedstock. Mature pods were sourced from local producers in Sumé Town, located in the Cariri Paraibano microregion of Brazil. Sugar extraction from the mesquite pods involved hydration followed by pressing, with the extracted juice adjusted to a pH of 4.3 and soluble solids (°Brix) concentrations corrected to 20, 18, and 16. The juice was then subjected to fermentation using different yeast strains (fresh yeast, granular yeast, and FLNF CA-11) at a concentration of 25 g L⁻¹. Alcoholic fermentation was carried out in a batch system, with measurements of cell concentration (biomass), soluble solids (°Brix), ethanol concentration (°GL), and pH taken at 2 h intervals over a 20 h period. The best physicochemical characterization of bioethanol was obtained using the LNF CA-11 yeast at 20 °Brix, producing a biofuel that met Brazilian legal standards set by the National Petroleum Agency (ANP). The bioethanol had a colorless appearance and was free of impurities, with a titratable acidity of 28.2 mg of acetic acid, electrical conductivity of 282.33 µS m⁻¹, a specific mass of 809 kg m⁻³, an alcohol content of 95.5 °GL, a pH of 6.28, and no evaporation residue in 100 mL. Additionally, the highest bioethanol yield was achieved with broth fermented at 18 °Brix and LNF CA-11 yeast. These results highlight the potential of mesquite pods as a renewable energy alternative, especially relevant in the context of the global climate crisis; the growing need to reduce dependence on fossil fuels; and the need to reduce environmental problems; and they promote the added-value and use of this product.

Goat milk is a nutritious food, with high levels of vitamins and minerals. In this context, there is a growing need to improve preservation techniques. Thus, the present work was developed with the aim of drying goat milk using a spray dryer. Chemical, physical, and physicochemical analyses of powdered goat milk and reconstituted goat milk were performed, as well as the characterization of raw goat milk. The statistical model used was the full factorial design 2³ + 3, observing the Pareto Diagram and Analysis of Variance to study the effect of atomization frequency (Hz), inlet temperature (°C), and peristaltic pump rotation (rpm) on the responses for the powdered and reconstituted product. The planning was executed with eleven trials, including nine different trials and three central points. For the analysis of the planning at a 95% confidence level, the Statistica 8.0 software was used. The results showed that atomization frequency and inlet temperature had the greatest effect on the powdered product and the reconstituted food, respectively. Therefore, the importance of drying this food is evident as it offers several advantages for the food industry and consumers.

Considerando um aumento na busca por “dietas sustentáveis”, impulsiona o interesse em produtos à base de plantas, podendo-se destacar o gergelim devido aos seus benefícios nutricionais. Diante disso, este estudo propõe analisar a tecnologia aplicada ao desenvolvimento de uma farinha desengordurada a partir do resíduo do extrato aquoso de gergelim, verificando a influência de diferentes temperaturas nas características nutricionais do produto final. Além de abordar a transferência de calor e massa na secagem convectiva deste resíduo, introduzindo novos conceitos propostos por Cavalcanti-Mata (2020) a partir do modelo de Fick modificado. O resíduo foi submetido à secagem convectiva e aos dados experimentais foram aplicados modelos teóricos, semi-teóricos e empíricos de secagem e posteriormente calculadas as propriedades termodinâmicas. O material foi caracterizado quanto as análises físico-químicas, antes e após a secagem. O modelo de Cavalcanti-Mata e Page modificados, apresentaram um ótimo ajuste aos dados experimentais. Os valores obtidos para os parâmetros termodinâmicos, destacam a diminuição da entalpia com o aumento da temperatura de secagem, comprovando a necessidade de menos energia para a remoção de água ligada ao produto. Foram obtidas farinhas com baixo teor lípidico e ricas em proteínas, com potencial aplicação na indústria alimentícia, atendendo a demanda dos consumidores intolerantes e/ou alérgicos a glúten.

The aim of this study was to investigate the thin layer drying of brown rice grains at different temperatures (35-75 °C), exploring its kinetics and thermodynamic properties. Black rice grains (30% b.u.) were subjected to convective drying, and the experimental data were subjected to analysis of theoretical, semi-theoretical and empirical drying models, and thermodynamic parameters were calculated. Increasing temperature accelerated drying, shortening the time required to reach moisture balance. The modified Page model modified by Cavalcanti-Mata showed excellent fit to the experimental data, standing out for its simplicity and effectiveness in describing the relationship between water content and drying time. The analysis of thermodynamic properties revealed that the activation energy increased with temperature, evidencing its influence on moisture removal. The observed variations in thermodynamic properties reinforce the importance of considering energy factors in drying. The results offer insights to optimize the black rice grain drying process, contributing to advances in the food industry and providing a basis for future research in the processing of agricultural products.

This study presents the development and characterization of a novel buffalo Petit Suisse cheese, enhanced with symbiotic properties through an innovative whey retention method and incorporating inulin and xanthan gum. The research focused on assessing the cheese’s physicochemical properties, shelf life, lactic acid bacteria viability, syneresis behavior, and the impact of varying concentrations of functional ingredients. The addition of inulin and xanthan gum, following a design of experiments, significantly influenced the cheese’s texture and consistency. Higher inulin concentrations were associated with increased fermentation activity, as indicated by total titratable acidity, which showed an increase from 1.22% to 1.50% over a 28-day period, and pH levels that decreased from 3.33 to 2.96. The syneresis index varied across trials, with the highest reduction observed in trials with increased xanthan gum concentrations, effectively reducing syneresis to 0%. Lactic acid bacteria viability also showed notable variations, with the highest cell survival percentage reaching 107.89% in formulations with higher inulin and xanthan gum concentrations. These results underscore the importance of inulin and xanthan gum in enhancing the cheese’s microbial stability and textural quality. The study concludes that the strategic use of inulin and xanthan gum improves the nutritional profile of buffalo Petit Suisse cheese and optimizes its textural and sensory attributes.