Author(s):
Serra, Ana Teresa de Carvalho Negrão
Date: 2010
Persistent ID: http://hdl.handle.net/10362/5768
Origin: Repositório Institucional da UNL
Description
Dissertation presented to obtain a Ph.D degree in Engineering and
Technology Sciences, Biotechnology at the Instituto de Tecnologia
Química e Biológica, Universidade Nova de Lisboa The consumption of fruits and vegetables is widely recognized to be beneficial
to human health and this is mainly attributed to their high content in functional
constituents, such as vitamins, carotenoids and polyphenols.
In Portugal, the annual production of apples and cherries is about 300,000 and
17,000 ton, respectively. Between all varieties produced, there are some
traditional fruits, which are only cultivated in specific regions of the country. In
general, these traditional varieties are very appreciated by consumers due to
their unique sensorial properties. However, they are less produced and thus
more expensive than exotic cultivars. Within this context, this thesis focused
on the valorization of these traditional Portuguese fruits in order to increase
their productivity and competition in the market.(...)