UV-C irradiation delays browning of fresh-cut “Fuji” apples
Junwei Yuan
State Key Laboratory of Food Nutrition and Safety, College of Food Science and Engineering, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, Tianjin, China
Contribution: Writing - original draft
Search for more papers by this authorHaifen Wang
State Key Laboratory of Food Nutrition and Safety, College of Food Science and Engineering, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, Tianjin, China
Contribution: Investigation
Search for more papers by this authorYusheng Li
Changli Rearch Institute of Pomology, Hebei Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Changli, China
Contribution: Writing - original draft
Search for more papers by this authorLan Chen
State Key Laboratory of Food Nutrition and Safety, College of Food Science and Engineering, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, Tianjin, China
Tianjin Gasin-DH Preservation Technologies Co., Ltd., Tianjin, China
Contribution: Formal analysis
Search for more papers by this authorYanli Zheng
State Key Laboratory of Food Nutrition and Safety, College of Food Science and Engineering, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, Tianjin, China
Contribution: Investigation
Search for more papers by this authorYuqian Jiang
State Key Laboratory of Food Nutrition and Safety, College of Food Science and Engineering, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, Tianjin, China
Contribution: Writing - original draft
Search for more papers by this authorCorresponding Author
Yao Tang
State Key Laboratory of Food Nutrition and Safety, College of Food Science and Engineering, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, Tianjin, China
Correspondence
Yao Tang, and Xihong Li, State Key Laboratory of Food Nutrition and Safety, College of Food Science and Engineering, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, Tianjin 300457, China.
Email: [email protected], [email protected] and [email protected]
Contribution: Data curation, Formal analysis
Search for more papers by this authorCorresponding Author
Xihong Li
State Key Laboratory of Food Nutrition and Safety, College of Food Science and Engineering, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, Tianjin, China
Correspondence
Yao Tang, and Xihong Li, State Key Laboratory of Food Nutrition and Safety, College of Food Science and Engineering, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, Tianjin 300457, China.
Email: [email protected], [email protected] and [email protected]
Contribution: Funding acquisition
Search for more papers by this authorJixin Li
Xinjiang academy of agricultural and reclamation science, Shihezi, China
Contribution: Resources
Search for more papers by this authorLuyin Wang
Xinjiang Hongqipo Agricultural Development Group Co., Ltd., Akesu, China
Contribution: Resources
Search for more papers by this authorJunwei Yuan
State Key Laboratory of Food Nutrition and Safety, College of Food Science and Engineering, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, Tianjin, China
Contribution: Writing - original draft
Search for more papers by this authorHaifen Wang
State Key Laboratory of Food Nutrition and Safety, College of Food Science and Engineering, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, Tianjin, China
Contribution: Investigation
Search for more papers by this authorYusheng Li
Changli Rearch Institute of Pomology, Hebei Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Changli, China
Contribution: Writing - original draft
Search for more papers by this authorLan Chen
State Key Laboratory of Food Nutrition and Safety, College of Food Science and Engineering, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, Tianjin, China
Tianjin Gasin-DH Preservation Technologies Co., Ltd., Tianjin, China
Contribution: Formal analysis
Search for more papers by this authorYanli Zheng
State Key Laboratory of Food Nutrition and Safety, College of Food Science and Engineering, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, Tianjin, China
Contribution: Investigation
Search for more papers by this authorYuqian Jiang
State Key Laboratory of Food Nutrition and Safety, College of Food Science and Engineering, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, Tianjin, China
Contribution: Writing - original draft
Search for more papers by this authorCorresponding Author
Yao Tang
State Key Laboratory of Food Nutrition and Safety, College of Food Science and Engineering, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, Tianjin, China
Correspondence
Yao Tang, and Xihong Li, State Key Laboratory of Food Nutrition and Safety, College of Food Science and Engineering, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, Tianjin 300457, China.
Email: [email protected], [email protected] and [email protected]
Contribution: Data curation, Formal analysis
Search for more papers by this authorCorresponding Author
Xihong Li
State Key Laboratory of Food Nutrition and Safety, College of Food Science and Engineering, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, Tianjin, China
Correspondence
Yao Tang, and Xihong Li, State Key Laboratory of Food Nutrition and Safety, College of Food Science and Engineering, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, Tianjin 300457, China.
Email: [email protected], [email protected] and [email protected]
Contribution: Funding acquisition
Search for more papers by this authorJixin Li
Xinjiang academy of agricultural and reclamation science, Shihezi, China
Contribution: Resources
Search for more papers by this authorLuyin Wang
Xinjiang Hongqipo Agricultural Development Group Co., Ltd., Akesu, China
Contribution: Resources
Search for more papers by this authorAbstract
In order to explore the effect and the corresponding physiological mechanisms of UV-C irradiation on browning of fresh-cut apples, both whole and sliced apple were irradiated with UV-C (254 nm) for 5 min before or after processing. The browning index (BI) of slices was immediately measured, while other relevant physiological parameters were evaluated on quick-frozen samples during refrigerated storage. Results indicated that both pre- and post-processing UV-C treatments effectively delayed browning of apple slices; nevertheless, post-processing UV-C treatment was more efficient. BI significantly negatively correlated with non-enzymatic capacities, and activities of catalase, ascorbate peroxidase, and glutathione reductase (GR). BI was positively correlated with the contents of H2O2 and malondialdehyde (MDA). These findings suggested that UV-C treatment delayed browning of apple slices during cold storage by improving the antioxidant system. Post-processing UV-C treatment was more efficient than pre-processing.
Practical applications
UV-C treatment is a technique of preservation for fresh-cut fruits. It is widely applied in food processing and many other fields due to its convenience, safety, low cost, etc. In the present study, both pre- and post-processing UV-C (254 nm) irradiation for 5 min could (1) delay the browning of fresh-cut apple, (2) improve the polyphenol oxidase activity and reduce the phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) activity and total phenolic content (TPC), and (3) reduce the accumulation of H2O2 and malondialdehyde, and increase the antioxidant activities of fresh-cut apples. Thus, UV-C treatments maintain the fresh-cut quality of fresh-cut apple slices and extend their shelf life.
CONFLICT OF INTEREST
The author declares that there is no conflict of interest that could be perceived as prejudicing the impartiality of the research reported.
Open Research
DATA AVAILABILITY STATEMENT
The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
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