Resumo

ARISTIZABAL TORRES, Iván Darío. THE MAGNETIC RESONANCE AND ITS AGRO-INDUSTRY APPLICATIONS, A REVIEW. Rev.Fac.Nal.Agr.Medellín [online]. 2007, vol.60, n.2, pp. 4037-4066. ISSN 0304-2847.

The electromagnetic properties that present hydrogen and other nucleus of agroalimentary products, have allowed widely use of Magnetic Resonance (MR) to study the composition and internal structure of these biological materials in a micro and macrocospic scale, in a nondestructive way. In this paper the physical principles, basic equipment to measure the MR signals and the MR imaging of any biological sample, are explained. It is also shown a review of the main agroalimentary applications, emphasizing in the use of this principle to examine the internal quality of fruits and vegetables. In these products, the MR has been used to detect and follow the evolution of different factors that determine the internal quality after harvesting, during storage and after postharvesting processes. The main studies that have been conducted with MR in harvested products are about physiological disorders, that take place during storage and conservation of fruits in controlled and modified cold atmospheres. In near future it is hope to have, commercial applications of MR sensors on line, based in a low field magnets or simplified image analyses, that allow the fast and nondestructive internal quality determination of the agro-alimentary products, are expected.

Palavras-chave : Magnetic resonance (MR); magnetic moment; spin; magnetic resonance imaging (MRI); agroalimentary products; internal quality.