Vitamin C content of freeze dried pequi (Caryocar brasiliense Camb.) pulp

Vitamin C is one of the constituents of pequi pulp. It is a natural antioxidant, capable of sequestering free radicals. The present study aimed to freeze dry a pequi pulp encapsulated with maltodextrin and whey protein and analyze vitamin C content. Vitamin C loss was lower in the experimental run that did not use encapsulating agent. Whereas, the run that used 15% of whey protein concentrate as encapsulant agent in relation to pequi solids presented the highest value (220.74 mg vitamin C / g pequi solids). Freeze drying of pequi pulp is a technique for vitamin C conservation independently of the variation in maltodextrin and whey protein proportion.Keywords: drying; encapsulating agent; ascorbic acid.