Fermentação de mandioca – “Puba 2.0”: estudos físico-químicos, microbiológicos e perfil de viscosidade

Abstract

Cassava (Manihot esculenta), a South America’s native plant, can be consumed in different ways. Cassava roots traditionally go through cooking or drying processes before being consumed. Cassava fermentation is a technique developed by indigenous communities in South America that allows the roots to be stored for long periods, reduces the cyanide content in toxic varieties, and develops aroma and flavor. In 2014, a farmer and researcher of Agroforestry Systems, Ernst Götsch, starred in a video entitled “Cassava: a recipe - “Puba 2.0””, showing the preparation of cassava silage in glass jars, with sensory properties similar to traditional Puba, with suggested consumption in the form of Beiju. The technique described by Ernst is different from all the fermented cassava products found in the literature, so this work aims to study the fermentation process of Ernst Götsch's recipe “Puba 2.0” and analyze its physical-chemical, technological, and microbiological characteristics. Two experiments were carried out: Experiment 1 was conducted in a completely randomized design, in a 2 x 14 factorial arrangement. The treatments were: cassava roots in conventional cultivation with and without peel (SCCE and SCCS, respectively) and fermentation time from 0 to 14 days (Tf0 to Tf14). Experiment 2 was conducted in a completely randomized design, in a 2 x 2 x 2 factorial arrangement, with three replications. The factors were: with and without the peel (CE and SE, respectively), conventional cultivation system (SCC) and organic cultivation system (SCO) and fermented and without fermenting (F and SF, respectively). The results of Experiment 1 and 2 were submitted to variance analysis (ANOVA), at the level of 5% probability The main differences between the organic and conventional cultivars were the vitamin C content and beneficial microbiological development, which were significantly higher in the organic cultivar. The cortex added higher values of protein and fibers, insoluble and total, to “Puba 2.0”. Fermentation reduced all nutritional contents and was effective in reducing the count of pathogenic organisms presented in the dough without fermenting. The bacteria Lactococcus garvieae, Leuconostoc mesenteroides, and Lactococcus lactis were identified in the samples of “Puba 2.0”. These bacteria represents, according to the literature, a probiotic potential in “Puba 2.0”. The fermentation showed suitable viscosity parameters, which indicate a potential use of “Puba 2.0” in developing bakery products, such as bread, cakes, and pizzas.