Leathers comestíveis à base de purê de ora-pro-nóbis com adição de goma de carragena: desenvolvimento e caracterização

Abstract

The growing demand for healthy and functional snacks has encouraged the development of plant-based products rich in bioactive compounds. Among these products, edible leathers, produced from fruit or vegetable purées, stand out for their nutritional, sensory, and functional properties. In this context, the present study aimed to produce and characterize leathers made from Pereskia aculeata Mill. (Ora-pro-nóbis) leaf purée, enriched with different concentrations of carrageenan gum, evaluating their potential as a functional snack and the impact of this addition on the nutritional, physicochemical, bioactive, and sensory properties of the product. The leathers were produced using the tape-casting technique, employing a fixed concentration of ora-pro-nóbis leaf purée (40 g/100 g) and varying concentrations of carrageenan gum (1.0, 1.5, and 2.0 g/100 g), defined based on preliminary tests. Drying was carried out in a forced-air oven at 40 °C for 7 hours. The products were characterized in terms of proximate composition (moisture, proteins, lipids, carbohydrates, and dietary fiber), energy value, total phenolic compound content, and antioxidant activity assessed by DPPH●, ABTS●⁺, and FRAP assays, in addition to physicochemical properties (visual analysis, pH, water activity, color parameters, and thickness). Mineral composition, chlorophyll a and b content, carotenoids, cytotoxicity, and the stability of bioactive compounds during storage were also evaluated. Additionally, sensory analysis was conducted to assess product acceptability. The proximate composition results indicated moisture contents ranging from 15.70 ± 0.26% to 15.41 ± 0.14%, ash from 19.40 ± 0.21% to 22.45 ± 0.27%, proteins from 13.88 ± 0.39% to 12.11 ± 0.13%, lipids from 9.15 ± 0.56% to 6.32 ± 0.61%, dietary fiber from 10.65 ± 0.89% to 9.99 ± 0.62%, and carbohydrates from 31.23 ± 1.23% to 33.72 ± 0.46%, resulting in an estimated energy value between 105.10 ± 0.60 and 96.09 ± 1.81 kcal/100 g. The addition of carrageenan gum did not promote significant differences in leather thickness (0.35 ± 0.02 mm), nor did it significantly affect pH (5.50 ± 0.14 to 4.98 ± 0.04) or water activity (0.59 ± 0.01 to 0.57 ± 0.13). Carrageenan gum influenced antioxidant activity, with the formulation containing 1.0 g/100 g showing the highest ABTS●⁺ (2.08 ± 0.05 µmol TE/g) and FRAP (132.7 ± 1.50 µmol TE/g) values, as well as the lowest concentration required to inhibit 50% of the DPPH● radical (0.0074 mg/mL). Total phenolic compound contents ranged from 86.0 ± 3.98 to 64.3 ± 4.01 mg GAE/g, with a significant difference (p < 0.05) associated with increasing carrageenan concentration. The formulation containing 1.0 g/100 g of carrageenan gum showed greater preservation of chlorophylls a and b and lower carotenoid content. The addition of carrageenan gum did not significantly interfere with the mineral composition of the leathers, showed no cytotoxic effect, and contributed to improved preservation of bioactive compounds during storage. Sensory analysis indicated that the leathers exhibited potential consumer acceptance, with intermediate scores for the evaluated attributes, possibly associated with the fact that this product is still relatively unfamiliar to consumers. Overall, the results demonstrate that carrageenan incorporation contributes to improving the physicochemical and functional properties of the leathers, while maintaining a nutritious, safe product with potential application as an innovative functional snack. Thus, this study provides relevant information on the use of Pereskia aculeata Mill. as an alternative and promising raw material for the development of healthy and affordable foods.