Stability and microstructure of freeze-dried guava pulp (Psidium guajava L.) with added sucrose and pectin.

Freeze-dried guava pulp powders, formulated with the addition of sucrose (0-20 g/100 g pulp) and pectin (0-1.0 g/100 g pulp), were obtained, and their stability was evaluated with respect to the water adsorption isotherms, thermal analysis and microstructure. The GAB (Guggenheim-Anderson-de Boer), Peleg and BET (Brunauer-Emmett-Teller) models were used to evaluate the water adsorption. The microstructure was examined using optical microscopy with polarized light and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The GAB and BET parameters showed that the moisture content of the monolayer (Xm) increases with increasing pectin concentration in the adsorption isotherms. Optical microscopy micrographs showed that the pulp consisting of sucrose showed crystalline structures present in a higher amount and size, and this behavior is enhanced with increasing relative moisture. SEM showed that the increase in sucrose and pectin concentrations produced powders with lower porosity, providing greater stability to the product. The glass transition temperature increased slightly with increasing pectin concentration and decreased with increasing moisture content in the guava pulp powder. The kinetic curves, ratio of the increase of the water content against the storage time, of the guava pulp treated with 20 g sucrose per 100 g pulp and higher pectin concentration (0.5 or 1.0 g pectin per 100 g pulp) showed reduced adsorption and yielded freeze-dried pulps that were more stable.