A research note on rheological behavior of some processed products from cactus pear (Opuntia ficus-indica [L.] Mill.)

Abstract

A study of some textural and rheological properties of cactus pear products was carried out in this research. The parameters of brittleness and hardness in peeled cactus pears in syrup (PCPS), and the compression stress in the sweetened pulp from cactus pears with partial addition of their skins (SPCPS) and in the marmalade from cactus pear skins (MCPS) were evaluated. Flow behavior was only evaluated in SPCPS and MCPS. A significant variation of the maximum force between different samples of PCPS in the range of 544.3-975.3 N was determined, while the deformation was 17.1-21.2 mm. In the SPCPS and MCPS products, the maximum stresses were low, 0.254 and 0.366 N/mm(2), although the deformation was of 28.8 and 29.07 mm, respectively. SPCPS was a pseudoplastic fluid, with a better fit to the general model of Herschel-Buckley. Meanwhile, MCPS was represented by a polynomial model of third order.