Inactivation of polyphenol oxidase and peroxidase enzymes during pulsed, static and cyclic pressurization of litchi ( Litchi chinensis ) juice

Ifs and buts of non-thermal processing technologies for plant-based drinks' bioactive compounds

Vegetables and fruits contain a variety of bioactive nutrients and non-nutrients that are associated with health promotion. Consumers currently demand foods with high contents of healthy compounds, as well as preserved natural taste and flavour, minimally processed without using artificial additives. Processing alternatives to be applied on plant-based foodstuffs to obtain beverages are mainly referred to as classical thermal treatments that although are effective treatments to ensure safety and extended shelf-life, also cause undesirable changes in the sensory profiles and phytochemical properties of beverages, thus affecting the overall quality and acceptance by consumers. As a result of these limitations, new non-thermal technologies have been developed for plant-based foods/beverages to enhance the overall quality of these products regarding microbiological safety, sensory traits, and content of bioactive nutrients and non-nutrients during the shelf-life of the product, thus allowing to obtain enhanced health-promoting beverages. Accordingly, the present article attempts to review critically the principal benefits and downsides of the main non-thermal processing alternatives (High hydrostatic pressure, pulsed electric fields, ultraviolet light, and ultrasound) to set up sound comparisons with conventional thermal treatments, providing a vision about their practical application that allows identifying the best choice for the sectoral industry in non-alcoholic fruit and vegetable-based beverages.

Application of non-thermal pretreatment techniques on agricultural products prior to drying: a review

BACKGROUND

Most agricultural crops contain high moisture content (80-95% wet basis (wb)) which makes them very susceptible to microbial damage leading to shorter shelf-life and high postharvest losses. The high perishability of these agricultural products requires preservation techniques to prolong their shelf-lives. Drying remains an important component of processing in this regard. Therefore, any pretreatment methods for drying agricultural product that decreases the moisture content and minimizes drying time by conserving the quality of the crop product is of prime significance. This article is a comprehensive review of recent developments of non-thermal pretreatment (NTP) methods. A summary of their significance, emerging and innovative methods of this technology together with its applications and limitations are discussed. This article further examines the environmental impact of NTP techniques.

RESULTS

NTP techniques, such as high pressure, ultrasound, pulsed electric field and osmotic dehydration methods are essential operations for pre-dehydration of agricultural products prior to drying. These techniques can avoid the deleterious effects of heat on nutritive value, colour and flavour of agricultural products compared to thermal pretreatments. They also enhance the inactivation of the enzymes, improve energy efficiency and mass transfer, reduce processing time, preserve bioactive compounds, improve drying kinetics and drying rate, minimize enzymatic browning, and enhance product quality.

CONCLUSION

These findings will provide a better understanding of different NTP methods and also make available more information for selecting pretreatment techniques for drying of agricultural products. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry.

Kinetic modeling of high-pressure induced inactivation of polyphenol oxidase in sugarcane juice (Saccharum officinarum)

BACKGROUND

Polyphenol oxidase (PPO) is the main enzyme in sugarcane juice associated with rapid browning and degradation of organoleptic properties. High-pressure processing (HPP) (300-600 MPa) of sugarcane juice in combination with moderate temperatures (30-60 °C) for different processing times (10-25 min) has shown promising results in minimizing PPO activity while preserving the juice's freshness.

RESULTS

A maximum PPO inactivation of 98% was achieved at 600 MPa/60 °C/25 min, while the corresponding value for thermal treatment at 0.1 MPa/60 °C was only 66%. The nonlinearity in the inactivation data was well described by the Weibull distribution model with a high adjusted R² and reduced χ² values at all levels of pressure and temperature. The PPO inactivation data were fitted at shape parameter, β = 1 (log linear) and β ≠ 1. A refitted Weibull model was used to predict kinetic parameters such as the inactivation rate constants (k), activation energy (E_a ) and activation volume (V_a ), which govern PPO inactivation in HPP-treated sugarcane juice. A secondary kinetic model was formulated to predict the k values as a function of pressure (P) and temperature (T), incorporating E_a and V_a .

CONCLUSIONS

Combined high-pressure and temperature processing has been considered a reliable alternative to conventional heat treatment for inhibiting PPO activity in sugarcane juice. While the isothermal inactivation of PPO followed first-order kinetics, inclusion of high pressure resulted in a strong deviation from log linear kinetics. Identification of suitable kinetic models describing these inactivation processes is expected to aid product development and process control of high-pressure processed sugarcane juice. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry.