Acerola (Malpighia glabra L.) is one of the main natural sources of vitamin C and is an excellent source of carotenoids. Due to the vitamin potential of carotenoids, and their possible association with the carcinogenesis process, there is an increasing concern of the scientific community about their chemistry and stability in food. The objective of this research was to study the effect of commercial freezing and storage procedures on the carotenoid contents (in respect to the vitamin A potential) of acerola pulp. The acerola pulp was processed in a small industry in Fortaleza, CE. The carotenoid contents were determined on freshly processed pulp (control), on recently frozen pulp and over time on stored frozen pulp. The beta-carotene content of the frozen pulp has decreased 20% after four months of storage, when compared to the control content (7.09 µg/g), but no significant differences existed in the subsequent months. The beta-criptoxantin content (1.7 µg/g) decreased 37% in the first month of storage, remaining practically constant until eleventh month, when it totalized a 62% drop. The content of alpha-carotene in pulp was small. About the vitamin A potential, the control pulp showed 1338 UI/100g, corresponding to, approximately, 25% of the daily recommendation for this vitamin. After freezing, vitamin A potential was maintained until the third month of storage, when a significant drop of 20% was observed. No significant alterations were detected in the subsequent months until the end of the evaluation period.
acerola; carotenoids; vitamin A
