Caracterización fisicoquímica de harina de residuos del fruto de chontaduro (Bactris gasipaes Kunth, Arecaceae) obtenida por secado convectivo

The production of flour from residues of peach -palm fruit skin has been a forgotten topic from the view point of its physicochemical properties, because studies reported in the literature have focused on mesocarp flour characterization. The objective of this study was to evaluate the physicochemical properties of the peach palm fruit epicarp flour obtained by convective drying at 60±2 °C through a specific production and storage process. As a result, the flour was found to be a source of bioactive compounds, showing total phenol concentration (23.40±1.30 mg gallic acid/100 g), antioxidant activity (33.10%±3.20), total carotenoids (59.31±1.61 mg β-carotene/100 g), color a* (4.95±0.58), color b* (3.25±0.57), and luminosity (33.95±3.16). On the other hand, there was a high level of total carotenoids (85%) and phenolic compounds (94%) retention after six months. Additionally, color change showed no significant difference during storage. In conclusion, the flour obtained is a byproduct with properties that can be used as an alternative to agroalimentary substitutes, mainly due to its color and antioxidant activity attributes. It is noteworthy to mention that this is one of the first studies to physicochemically characterize peach palm fruit skin flour from Valle del Cauca (Colombia).