Effect of pulsed electric fields (PEF) on physico-chemical properties, β-carotene and antioxidant activity of air-dried apricots

Publication date: Available online 6 April 2019Source: Food ChemistryAuthor(s): Wenshu Huang, Zuoshan Feng, Reheman Aila, Yakun Hou, Alan Carne, Alaa El-Din Ahmed BekhitAbstractFresh apricots pre-treated by pulsed electric fields at different intensities [LPEF, 0.65 kV/cm, 100 HZ, 20 µs and total treatment time 30 s; HPEF1, 1.25 kV/cm, 100 HZ, 20 µs and total treatment time 30 s; HPEF2, 1.25 kV/cm, 100 HZ, 20 µs and total treatment time 60 s], along with controls [non-treated, non-treated and sulphite treated, and heat pre-treatment at 80 °C, for 10 min (HC)] and soaked in 0.2% sodium sulphite solution for 1 h and then were subject to hot air drying. The changes in drying rate, polyphenol oxidase, peroxidase, and β-carotene contents as well as antioxidant activity and colour in pre-treatment and hot air-dried apricot samples were investigated. PEF and heat treatments increased the drying rate of apricots. PEF treatments had no effect on the PPO activity and decreased the POD activity (P < 0.05). HPEF2 treatment retained more β-carotene, higher antioxidant activity and suffered less browning during processing. Overall, the results indicate that combining sulphite treatment with PEF produces dried apricots with more β-carotene and antioxidant activity, and better colour.
Source: Food Chemistry - Category: Food Science Source Type: research