Changes in phenolic compounds of fresh-cut apples treated with pulsed light and antibrowning agent

AVALOS LLANO, KARINA ROXANA; MARSELLÉS FONTANET, ÁNGEL ROBERT; MARTÍN-BELLOSO, OLGA; SOLIVA FORTUNY, ROBERT

Berlín

Congreso; 2011 EFFoST Annual Meeting; 2011

European Federation of Food Science & Technology (EFFoST)

The effect of pulsed light treatments in combination with the use of an antibrowning agent on the antioxidant properties of fresh-cut "Golden delicious" apples was investigated. Apples were washed, sliced and treated with pulsed light (8 Jcm-2 and 16 Jcm-2) alone or combined with an antibrowning treatment (1% N-acetylcysteine and 0.5% CaCl2). All the samples were finally packaged in polypropylene trays. The packages were stored for 15 days at 5 ºC. Changes in antioxidant capacity, total phenolic compounds and flavonoids were evaluated during storage. Apples dipped into an antibrowning solution displayed higher values of antioxidant capacity and total phenols than those without antibrowning treatment during the whole storage period. After 15 days of storage, no differences in antioxidant capacity were found within samples without antibrowning treatment but phenolic and flavonoid contents in slices treated at 8 Jcm−2 were slightly lower (11-8%) than in untreated samples. Non significant differences were observed between untreated and treated fruits at 16 Jcm−2. When the pulsed light treatment was combined with the antioxidant dipping treatment, pulsed light-treated slices at 16 Jcm−2 exhibited the highest values of antioxidant capacity (21% higher than in untreated fruit), after 15 days of refrigerated storage. On the other hand, pulsed light-treated apples had higher levels of total phenols and total flavonoids than untreated fruits during the whole storage period, especially those treated at 16 Jcm−2, which exhibited a 22% and a 27 % increase in their phenolic and flavonoid contents, respectively, throughout 15 days of storage. According to the obtained results, pulsed light treatment in combination with the use of antibrowning agent seems to have a positive effect on some of the main bioactive compounds of fresh-cut apples during refrigerated storage.