The objective of this work was to evaluate the role antioxidants in preventing both browning and quality maintenance of fresh cut pupunha palm cabbage stored at 5º C (± 1º C and 90% ± 5% RH). The pupunha palm cabbages were purchased in the town of Coqueiral (MG), washed in running water and neutral detergent, sanitized with 200 mg L-1 sodium hypochlorite for 15 min, processed into 1cm-thick rings, sanitized with 100 mg L-1 sodium hypochlorite for 10 min and submitted to the following treatments: control, 0.5% cysteine, 0.5% citric acid and 0.5% cysteine + 0.5% citric acid. Afterwards, they were packed into stiff polypropylene packages stored for 12 days at 5º C (± 1º C and 90% ± 5% RH). The experimental design was completely randomized in a factorial 4x7 (4 treatments and 7 storage times) with three replicates. The control group showed useful life of 8 days. The treatment with 0.5% cysteine was the one which kept the quality of the fresh cut pupunha palm cabbage (Bactris gasipaes Kunth), characterizing a product with lower values and fewer oscillations of a* e b*, maintenance of firmness and titrable acidity along the storage, reduction of proxidase activity and maintenance of the product quality during the period valued.
Pupunha palm cabbage; citric acid; cysteine; minimum processing
