O objetivo do presente trabalho foi verificar a modificação na textura de pontas duras do palmito, consideradas não comestíveis pela ação das enzimas celulase, pectinase e hemicelulase. Experimentos preliminares mostraram pouca ou nenhuma ação dos preparados enzímicos sobre as pontas duras preparadas na forma de pequenos toletes (1-3 cm comprimento). Quando preparada na forma de purê (folíolo triturado), celulase e pectinase mostraram redução de 2, 9 a 2,1 vezes respectivamente, no valor de viscosidade. O planejamento fatorial 2³ foi utilizado para ajustar os parâmetros de concentração de enzima tempo e temperatura de incubação e seus respectivos níveis a um modelo final via metodologia de superfície de respostas. Para celulase foi verificada uma redução de quatro vezes no valor de viscosidade para a dada situação (T=50ºC; t=5h5min; [E]=0,81%) máx-minimizada pela superfície de respostas, enquanto que para pectinase não foram encontrados resultados satisfatórios nestas condições. A aplicação de celulase nas pontas duras do palmito, preparada na forma de purê, representa um aumento em cerca de 8-10% no rendimento da palmeira

The aim of this research was to verify the textural changes in the non-edible hard tips of hearts of pal caused by the action of cellulase, pectinase and hemicellulase. In general these tips are discarded of added to the industrialized canned product, which constitutes a fraud to the custumers. The hard tips of hearts of paI were incubated with cellulase and pectinase preparations supplied by different laboratories. Preliminary experiments were carried out with the raw material prepared both as stalks (1-3 cm lenght) and as a puree (ground foliole) and incubated in a rotatory shaker under controled agitation and temperature. The texture was evaluated using a Texture Test System texturometer with a shear compression standard cell for the stalk samples and a Brookfield viscosimeter for the purees. The results showed little or no activity of the enzymes preparations on the sample prepared as stalks. However, with the purees, cellulase and pectinase reduced the viscosity values by factor of 2,9 and 2,1 respectively, as compared to the control samples. A 2³ Fatorial Design was then applied to the puree to adjust the parameters of enzyme concentration (0.5 to 1.0%) I time (4 to 6h) and temperature of incubation and their respective levels to a final optimization using Response Surface Methodology. A 4-fold reduction in viscosity was found for the cellulose treated samples as compared to the control, using, a pre-determined set of conditions (T=50ºC; t=5h5min; [E]=0,81%) max-minimized by Responde Surface Methodology. No satisfatory results were found with the pectinase treated samples under these conditions. The application of cellulase to the hard tips of hearts of palm prepared as puree results in an 8 to 10% increase in the yield of the palm