Melon (Cucumis melo) is a fruit of great national importance. However, it is not exploited in our region due to producers' insufficient negotiating capacity and the lack of infrastructure and technical training, which causes losses of these products, especially at harvest time. Therefore, it is necessary to study its physicochemical and rheological properties to optimize the different processing methods. The main objective of this research is the study of the physicochemical and rheological properties of fresh melon pulp (Cucumis melo) from the northern area of the Bolí­var department, Colombia, as a contribution to science and agro-industry, for which the physicochemical characterization was performed following AOAC methods, and the rheological characterization was performed by flow tests at steady state in a temperature range of 10-60°C. The pulp rheological properties evaluation were analyzed according to the temperature variation. The tests were conducted using a Modular System Rheometer Haake Mars Advanced 60. The pulp yield was 83.74% of the whole fruit; physicochemical parameters were similar to those studied previously by other authors. The melon pulp had a non-Newtonian pseudoplastic behavior (shear thinning) in all cases with reduction of temperature, the relation between the viscosity and the deformation rate adjusted the Carreau-Yasuda model (R2> 0, 97264). These results provide information on the melon pulp rheological behavior and may have potential application in the agro-industrial sector for the design of processes to manufacture products from this raw material.

Eggplant ( Solanum melongena ) is an important vegetable of the Nightshade family with high demand due to its nutritional value and medicinal properties. The principal objective of this work was to develop and standardize a spread eggplant paste (SEP) with the addition of guar gum and evaluate its physicochemical, bromatological, sensory, and rheological characteristics. A two-factor factorial design with three levels was used for the formulation, evaluating the percentage of guar gum and oil. Flow curves in steady-state and small-amplitude oscillatory shear tests were performed to evaluate the rheological properties of the pastes. Sensorial analysis was performed using descriptive analysis. The standardized eggplant showed no signs of phase separation being stable during storage. Samples presented a non-Newtonian shear-thinning behavior described by Ostwald de-Waele model (R 2 > 0.969). The products exhibit more elastic than viscous behavior, with a higher storage modulus than loss modulus in the evaluated frequency range, where the modules could be well described by a power function of the oscillatory frequency. The sensory evaluation revealed that the product color, odor, taste, and spreadability were acceptable, being an alternative for the transformation and agro-industrial use of eggplant for production chain development.

(1) Background: Starch is the main component of mango (Mangifera indica) kernel, making it an alternative to obtain an ingredient from a non-conventional source with potential application in food and other industrial applications; however, reports on the use of new extraction techniques for this material are scarce. The main objective of this research was to evaluate the effect of ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) on the yield, chemical, techno-functional, rheological, and pasting properties of starch isolated from a non-conventional source such as a mango kernel. (2) Methods: Different power sonication conditions (120, 300, and 480 W) and sonication time (10, 20, and 30 min) were evaluated along with a control treatment (extracted by the wet milling method). (3) Results: Ultrasound-assisted extraction increases starch yield, with the highest values (54%) at 480 W and 20 min. A significant increase in the amylose content, water-holding capacity, oil-holding capacity, solubility, and swelling power of ultrasonically extracted starches was observed. Similarly, mango kernel starch (MKS) exhibited interesting antioxidant properties. The sol-gel transition temperature and pasting parameters, such as the breakdown viscosity (BD) and the setback viscosity (SB), decreased with ultrasound application; (4) Conclusion: indicating that ultrasound caused changes in physical, chemical, techno-functional, rheological, and pasting properties, depending on the power and time of sonication, so it can be used as an alternative starch extraction and modification technique, for example, for potential application in thermally processed food products such as baked goods, canned foods, and frozen foods.

Emulsion gels are an alternative to developing food products and adding bioactive compounds; however, different stabilizers have been employed considering natural ingredients. In this work, stabilization of emulsion gels with blends of carboxymethylcellulose and kernel mango starch was performed with the addition of mango peel extracts, evaluating their physical, rheological and microstructural properties. Phenolic extract from mango peels (yields = 11.35 ± 2.05% w/w), with 294.60 ± 0.03 mg GAE/100 g of extract and 436.77 ± 5.30 µMol Trolox/g of the extract, was obtained by ultrasound-assisted extraction (1:10 peel: Ethanol w/v, 200 W, 30 min), containing pyrogallol, melezitose, succinic acid, γ-tocopherol, campesterol, stigmasterol, lupeol, vitamin A and vitamin E. In addition, mango kernel starch (yields = 59.51 ± 1.35% w/w) with 27.28 ± 0.05% of amylose was obtained, being the by-product of mango (Mangifera indica var fachir) an alternative to producing natural food ingredients. After that, stable emulsions gels were prepared to stabilize with carboxy methylcellulose–kernel mango starch blends and mango peel extracts. These results provide an ingredient as an alternative to the development of gelled systems. They offer an alternative to elaborating a new multifunctional food system with bioactive properties with potential application as a fat replacement or delivery system in the food industry.