Obtaining and physicochemical characterization of yacon derivatives

The present study aimed to develop and evaluate methodologies of yacon root processing for the production of whole juice, syrup and flour. The physicochemical and color attributes of the derivatives were evaluated through the parameters L*, b*, h. C. ANOVA and Tukey’s test were used to analyze the obtained data, at a 5% significance level. The bleaching treatment was effective in the preparation of the juices by keeping the color coordinates constant and preserving the physicochemical characteristics. Regarding the color coordinates, the syrup with citric acid presented a higher L* value, which indicates greater clarity than the others; a h value near 90°, which indicates greater proximity to the yellow color; and a higher C value, which reveals greater color purity. The pie flour presented high crude fiber content and, together with the control syrup, the highest ash content. The syrup with the antioxidant citric acid presented the best color coordinates and a pH close to 4.5, which makes it the best yacon derivative among those analyzed in this study.