Cast‐tape drying and freeze drying of tucumã pulp into powder

Abstract This study aimed to investigate the drying of tucumã pulp into powder by cast‐tape drying (CTD) and freeze drying (FD). Bioactive compounds and the physicochemical properties of the pulp and powder were investigated. Tucumã pulp (2 mm thick pulp) was dehydrated by cast‐tape drying in a short time (8 min) due to the high drying rate, and by freeze drying for 21 h at 0.02 kPa. The powders presented moisture content of 0.04 g/g (d.b.) and water activity lower than 0.40. The degradation of bioactive compounds was of 55.8 and 37.5% of antioxidant activity index, as well as 50.1 and 26.9% of total phenolic compounds in the pulp dried by CTD and by FD, respectively. The greater degradation of bioactive compounds in the powder obtained by CTD is due to the higher pulp temperature and oxidation reactions. Both drying processes reduced β‐carotene, accounting for 45.8% for powders obtained by CTD and 31.2% by FD. However, the degradation of carotenoids did not influence the color of the pulp reconstituted when compared to the raw pulp. Despite possible biocomposite losses due to drying, the results showed that tucumã powders present relatively good values of bioactive compounds in relation to the data reported in the literature. Therefore, FD and CTD processes are appropriate to dehydrate tucumã pulp without adding carrier agents and that can be marketed without refrigeration, which is essential in regions with transport logistics issues. The advantage of CTD over FD is the higher drying rates. Practical Applications Tucumã is a typical exotic fruit from the Amazon region, which is rich in phenolics and antioxidants. This fruit is of great importance in the Amazon and deserves studies that make its conservation viable. Freeze drying and cast‐tape drying processes are considered appropriate conservation methods for the tucumã pulp, as they enable to retain a part of the bioactive compounds of the raw material. Moreover, tucumã powder has potential applications in food, chemical, and pharmaceutical areas.