QUALITY AND DESCRIPTIVE TERMINOLOGY OF TACINGA INAMOENA (K. SCHUM.) FRUITS

Although some native and exotic species of cacti occurring in the Brazilian Semiarid are still underexploited, their fruits are currently focus of studies aiming to evaluate different quality aspects as a way of adding value for those. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate the quality and, using Quantitative Descriptive Analysis (QDA), develop a descriptive terminology for sensory analysis of Tacinga inamoena fruits. For evaluations, ripe fruits were harvested from mature plants from different locations of semiarid region. The development of the descriptive terminology was carried on through an open panel with 15 judges considering aspects of appearance, taste, and texture. It was observed that fruits of T. inamoena are round shaped, of orange-yellowish color (Hue = 89.9), and with pulp yield of 66.4%. The fruit has a soluble solids content of 14.7%, low titratable acidity (0.62 g citric acid/100 g), SS/TA ratio of 23.71, ascorbic acid of 42.1 mg/100 g and betaxanthyns of 9.7 mg/100 g. Among the descriptors for the sensory quality, the judges observed that fruits of T. inamoena have lots of tufts of glochids throughout the whole skin and its color is yellow with irregular orange and reddish traces with little brightness. The pulp is sweetish, with moderate texture and many seeds. The aroma is sweetish and resembles flower. This fruit exhibits physical, physicochemical, and sensorial characteristics that can make it suitable for processing as well as for fresh consumption.