Physicochemical and Rheological Characterization of Melon Pulp (Cucumis melo) Cultivated in the North of Bolívar Department, Colombia

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