Drying and roasting processes on methylxanthines contents and guarana powder quality

Abstract

The guarana is a creeper native to the Brazilian Amazon, domesticated by the indigenous community Sateré-Mawé, and widely cultivated in the region of Maués in the Amazon, where it has subespontaneous occurrence. Guarana seeds have antioxidant, energetic, medicinal properties, and great economic and industrial potential. It is intended as raw material for the energy, medicine and soft drinks industry. BRS Maués is the most cultivated in the Amazon. Due to the high demand of guarana powder, different drying processes are used. The objective of this study was to verify the influence of drying and roasting processes on the quality and content of methylxanthines and quality of guarana powder. The experimental design was completely randomized, with four (4) drying processes (solar, greenhouse, clay pot and iron pot), in seven (7) replications. Genetic variability was estimated by ANOVA and Tukey mean test. Moisture (%), average weight of dry seeds (g), caffeine (%), theobromine (%) and theophylline (%) were quantified by High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). There is influence of the drying and roasting process on the quality of guarana powder. Only the caffeine content was not influenced by the drying and roasting processes. Theobromine contents were higher in the roasting in clay pot and iron pot. The roasting in clay pot and iron pot are the best processes for the production of guarana powder by showed similar values for all parameters evaluated and better than the other treatments.