Description
Banana, an important component in the diet of the global population, is one of the
most consumed fruits in the world. This fruit is also very favorable to industry processes (e.g.,
fermented beverages) due to its rich content on soluble solids and minerals, with low acidity.
The main objective of this work was to evaluate the influence of factors such as banana weight
and extraction time during a hot aqueous extraction process on the total soluble solids content
of banana. The extract is to be used by the food and beverage industries. The experiments were
performed with 105 mL of water, considering the moisture of the ripe banana (65%). Total
sugar concentrations were obtained in a beer analyzer and the result expressed in degrees Plato
(°P, which is the weight of the extract or the sugar equivalent in 100 g solution at 20 °C), aiming
at facilitating the use of these results by the beverage industries. After previous studies of
characterization of the fruit and of ripening performance, a 22 full-factorial star design was
carried out, and a model was developed to describe the behavior of the dependent variable
(total soluble solids) as a function of the factors (banana weight and extraction time),
indicating as optimum conditions for extraction 38.5 g of banana at 39.7 min.
; Silva, Daniel Pereira da 
