Influência de métodos de preparo na composição físico-química da planta Tropaeolum pentaphyllum Lam

Abstract

The plant Tropaeolum pentaphyllum Lam, commonly known as potato crem or crem, is in increasing research, aiming at the knowledge of its constituents physical-chemical in order to bring medicinal and nutritional benefits to the consumers and options for new preparations. The aim of this research was evaluate the nutritional composition, pulp colour and pH of the plant in 5 different cooking methods (immersion in water, fried by immersion in oil, baked in an oven microwave, baked in oven combined with dry heat and preserves salt acid) relating to the plant in natura. Based on the physical-chemical analysis it was noted that the cooking method caused major alterations in the composition of the potato, and it was baking in the oven with dry heat, and what produced minor alterations in composition, when compared to raw potatoes was cooking by immersion in water. The canned sample showed higher variation in sodium contents (increased) and potassium (decreased) when compared to the in natura sample. It was also noted the presence of acid pH in the plant. Besides, the presence of acid pH in the plant even if submitted to the cooking methods, however, only one sample submitted to the microwave oven was equal to the raw sample. Furthermore, in the colour analysis of the pulp the appearance of L* (luminosity) of all cooking methods were statistically present as raw potatoes. The parameter a* (positive), of reddish colour, showed no influence of the cooking methods, and the parameter b* (positive) with yellow colour display difference for the fried samples and baked in microwave oven, and combined oven when compared to the raw sample, accenting the yellowish colour for these samples. It is concluded that the cooking methods influenced the physico-chemical composition of the potato, mainly in nutritional composition.