VINEGAR PRODUCTION BY SPONTANEOUS FERMENTATION USING MALAMBE PULP (Adansonia digitata L)

Abstract

Malambe cultivation has been expanding and obtaining vinegar by spontaneous fermentation using malambe pulp (Adansonia digitata L) is an alternative for utilizing surpluses and diversifying production to add value to the product. In this study, musts were prepared in four different treatments: (T1) pure must; (T2) 80% pulp and 5% addition; (T3) 60% pulp and 10% addition; and (T4) 40% pulp and 15% addition. The experiment followed a Completely Randomized Design (CID), with fermentation carried out in Erlenmeyer flasks at room temperature for 624 hours. The process included two main stages: alcoholic fermentation, carried out by the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and acetic fermentation, carried out spontaneously with aerobic oxidation of the ethanol to produce acetic acid. The parameters analyzed were pH, total soluble solids (TSS), ash, total dry extract and acetic acid content. A sensory analysis using a hedonic scale was carried out to assess the acceptability of the final product. The results indicated that the pH ranged from 3.3 (T1) to 9.3 (T4), while the TSS ranged from 3.3°Brix (T1) to 4.61°Brix (T2). The average acetic acid content of the treatments was 3.33%, which is adequate for commercial vinegars. Treatments T1 and T2 showed the best results, with pH values of 3.06 and 3.07, respectively, and TSS ranging from 3.3°Brix to 4.61°Brix. In the sensory analysis, T1 and T2 obtained average scores of 6, considered favorable for marketing, while the standard treatment (control) achieved a score of 5, representing the quality limit. Based on the results, it can be concluded that treatments T1 and T2 are the most suitable for producing vinegar from malambe, both in terms of physicochemical parameters and sensory acceptability. These findings reinforce the potential of malimbe (Adansonia digitata L) as a raw material for differentiated products with high market acceptance.