EFFECT OF ANTIBROWNING AGENTS ON COLOR AND RELATED ENZYMES IN FRESH-CUT APPLES DURING COLD STORAGE

Abstract

ABSTRACT Treatments to inhibit browning of fresh-cut apples were investigated. The color (L*), the browning potential and polyphenol oxidase (PPO) activity of fresh-cut apples (Golden Delicious, Scarlet Spur and Granny Smith) were evaluated throughout cold storage. Antibrowning agents (citric and ascorbic acid) and calcium chloride resulted in a reduction of browning and deterioration of fresh-cut apples stored at 4C for 5 days under normal atmospheric conditions. During storage, PPO activity increased and was inhibited by the use of citric and ascorbic acids. These antibrowning agents helped to maintaining the color of fresh-cut apples during storage. On the contrary, the use of 1-methylcyclopropene was not effective to prevent the color deterioration of the apple slices from the first day of cold storage. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS The ready-to-eat fruit and vegetable market has rapidly grown in recent years due to the health benefits associated with these foods because of busy lifestyles, increasing purchasing power and increasingly health-conscious consumers. Nevertheless, because the tissular integrity of fruits is more easily altered during processing, ready-to-use commodities are more perishable than the original materials to browning surface. The use of organic acids such as malic acid, as well as physicochemical quality-stabilizing compounds on fresh-cut fruits and vegetable can benefit the fresh-cut products industry since they can assure the safety and quality of these products. The data collected of this study demonstrated that treatments included 1% w/v of citric acid/CaCl2 and 1% of ascorbic acid/CaCl2 were effective inhibitors of browning surface. For practical purposes the results obtained, we recommend the use of ascorbic acid and citric acid to maintain the quality of fresh-cut apples.