Avaliação microbiológica e caracterização físico-química de águas de coco comercializadas em Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais

• Ano de defesa: 2010
• Autor(a) principal: Natalia Oliveira Pereira
• Tipo de documento: Dissertação
• Tipo de acesso: Acesso aberto
• Idioma: por
• Instituição de defesa: Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais; UFMG
• Palavras-chave em Português: Microbiologia
• Link de acesso: http://hdl.handle.net/1843/BUOS-8VMKNG

During the year 2008, forty-five samples of coconut water commercialized using Coconut Club Machines (coqueiras) were collected from several places of the city of Belo Horizonte,Minas Gerais state. These machines that help in the extraction, storage and cooling of the beverage were introduced in big and medium cities, attracting the attention of consumers due to water is sterile inside the fruit, the use of these machines as well as the handling of the coconuts are factors that can contribute to microbial contamination. Thus, in order to assess the quality, the samples collected were analyzed formicrobiological and physical-chemical properties. Only one sample presented no contamination by any of the microorganisms studied was observed in only one sample. Seven samples (16%) analyzed did not accomplished the microbiological requirements established by the current Brazilian legislation, showing density of thermotolerant coliforms over 102 MPN/mL, and were considered improper for consumption. The presence of Escherichia coli was confirmed in six samples of coconut water. Among Staphylococcus spp., only two isolates obtained from thesame sample were positive for coagulase and thermonuclease tests, and were confirmed by molecular methods as Staphylococcus aureus. Staphylococci enterotoxin A was also detected. High yeast counts were observed in 29 (64%) samples and the most frequent species wereCandida intermedia, Candida tropicalis, Torulaspora delbrueckii, Aureobasidium pullulans and Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The predominant yeast of each sample was tested in relation to theirsensitivity to antifungal agents (fluconazol, itraconazol and Amphotercin B), and 12 isolates were susceptible to amphotericin B. The physical chemical parameters were in the accordance with others authors findings. The results suggested the occurrence of microbiological contamination during the coconut water extraction or during storage and cooling of the beverage. Utensils and containers used and which have been poorly cleaned could also be sources of contamination.The microorganisms isolated in the present study can be spoilage agents, contaminants or even opportunistic pathogens, which can represent risk for consumers health.