Professional Documents
Culture Documents
discussions, stats, and author profiles for this publication at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/265623223
CITATIONS READS
14 230
5 authors, including:
All content following this page was uploaded by Mariana-Atena Poiana on 05 January 2015.
Meri-Rastilantie 3 B, FI-00980 Journal of Food, Agriculture & Environment Vol.8 (1) : 54-58. 2010 www.world-food.net
Helsinki, Finland
e-mail: info@world-food.net
Abstract
The effects of the Individual Quick Freezing (IQF) process and frozen storage at -18C up to 10 months, on the nutraceutical compounds, antioxidant
properties and color indices of various berries (blueberry, red raspberry and blackberry) have been evaluated. Samples were extracted and analyzed
for their total phenolics content, total monomeric anthocyanins, vitamin C, antioxidant activity and color indices. Total anthocyanins and color
indices were evaluated by using pH-differential method, total phenolics content was measured using Folin-Ciocalteu procedure, vitamin C content
using 2,6-dichlorophenolindophenol method and antioxidant activity using ferric-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assay. Blueberry contains the
highest amounts of polyphenols, anthocyanins and antioxidant activity among the berries studied. The highest content of vitamin C was found in
fresh raspberry. After freezing, no significant difference was observed for investigated nutraceuticals and color of berries, because the IQF is a rapid
and non-destroying preservation method. Results showed that the frozen storage up to 4 months did not significantly affect the bioactive compounds
and color indices of berries. The degradation of these characteristics was not recorded more than 23% during six months of storage. After 10 months,
the content of polyphenols decreased up to 28-47% of the initial value; the total anthocyanins was found in proportion of 80-91%, and the ascorbic
acid content was kept at 62-76%. After 10 months of storage the smallest loss of antioxidant activity was recorded for blueberries (approximately
23%) and the biggest loss for raspberries (approximately 37%). The results showed a positive correlation between antioxidant capacity and
polyphenols, vitamin C and anthocyanins content. The correlation coefficient between FRAP and the total phenolics was higher than the correlation
coefficient between FRAP and total anthocyanins or FRAP and vitamin C for all investigated berries.
Key words: Frozen berries, anthocyanins, polyphenols, vitamin C, antioxidant activity, color.
Introduction
Berries are known for their bioactive properties such as antioxidant disease as well as other degenerative diseases 3. Only a small
activity, cardiovascular protection, antidiabetic properties, vision percentage of berries reaches the fresh market, and most berries
improvement properties, and inhibition of carcinogenesis and end up frozen or canned. Frozen berries can be then processed in
mutagenesis 20, 23, 24. Blueberries, raspberries and blackberries are jams, purees, jellies and juices 13, 20. Changes in antioxidant content
excellent sources of phytochemicals that are believed to have and color take place in frozen berries as a result of oxidation-
significant biological activity 14, 18, 20. During the last decade, much reduction reactions occurring in fruits. These changes are
interest has been focused on berries due to their high levels of influenced by the initial quality of berries, raw material processing
anthocyanins and antioxidant capacity. Prior et al.18 reported a prior to freezing, freezing methods, storage conditions (temperature
significant correlation between the antioxidant capacity and the and relative humidity), storage time of frozen berries and quality
total content of anthocyanins and phenolics among blueberries. of container 16, 21. Due to the high antioxidant levels found in
Many studies 4, 12, 14, 15 evaluated the phenolic content of different blueberries, blueberry processors are seeking effective processing
berries and found significant differences in the anthocyanins, techniques such as IQF (Individual Quick Freezing) to further
phenolics and antioxidant capacity of phenolic content among optimize the amount of antioxidants retained in the final product.
the different species. Anthocyanins have been associated with Freezing of berries will increase flexibility for consumers by
the antioxidant properties of many common small fruit crops and extending the length of time in which fruits are available. IQF is
have been characterized as having significant beneficial effects one of the simplest and least time-consuming ways to preserve
on various diseases. Anthocyanins had the greatest berries, but the long-term frozen storage might affect
antiproliferation effect with an inhibition of greater than 50% as anthocyanins, polyphenols, vitamin C, color quality and
opposed to the phenolic acids, flavonols and tannins 23. Phenolic antioxidant effects of berries. The literature provides many studies
compounds from berry extracts have been reported to exhibit a about the effects of freezing on the retention of antioxidants in
broad range of protective health benefits that may reduce the risk different berries 1, 11, 13, 16, 21. Little is known, however, about the
factors associated with certain types of cancer, cardiovascular effect of long-term frozen storage on color indices, polyphenols
40 50
35 raspberry raspberry
30 40
blueberry blueberry
25 blackberry 30 blackberry
( )
%
(%)
%
20
15 20
10
10
5
0 0
2 4 6 8 10 2 4 6 8 10
storage time
Storage time (months)
(months) storage time (months)
Storage time (months)
a a b b
40
20
raspberry
30 blueberry raspberry
15 blueberry
blackberry
blackberry
%
(%)
20
%
10
10 5
0 0
2 4 6 8 10 2 4 6 8 10
Storage time (months) t
Storage ti ((months)
time th )
c d
Figure 1. The losses of vitamin C (a), total phenolics (b), antioxidant activity (c) and total
anthocyanins (d) during the long-term frozen storage of berries.
losses reached 23-38%. The smallest loss was registered for It was found that storage of frozen fruit for 6 months slowed
blueberry. It can be concluded that storage in frozen state for a down anthocyanin degradation (losses in these compounds after
period of more than 8 months significantly affects ascorbic acid 6 months were below 5% for blackberry and blueberry and 10%
concentration in fruits investigated 17. Probably, significant for raspberry). After 10 months there was an accelerated
decrease of investigated compounds was due to water content in degradation of anthocyanins, so that losses were 9% for
non-frozen state. Activity and enzymatic reaction rate reached blackberry, 13% for blueberry and 20% for raspberry. These data
maximum values in the layers of liquid water in frozen fruits. are in agreement with other studies 7, 9, 10, 13, 21 showing that a
Perhaps, this phenomenon contributes to the modification of period of 6 months of freezing does not cause significant loss of
chemical compounds, including biologically active substances. anthocyanin content. This information is important because the
In frozen products the enzymatic reactions are slow, but not monomeric anthocyanins represent approximately 25% of the total
completely blocked. In general, the activity of enzymes in frozen antioxidant capacity of berries 5. Antioxidant activity decreased
berries is linked to the presence of non-frozen water. At a during the frozen storage of berries. In the first 4 months of storage
temperature of -18C in frozen berries water content represents there was a relatively small decrease in antioxidant capacity, which
approximately 89% of total water of berries. Liquid water in these was followed by a significant decline in the following months.
products will be 11%. At a temperature of -30C frozen water in During the storage for 10 months, antioxidant capacity decreased
berries will be 91% of total fruit water and liquid water content 9%. up to 23% of 0-F value for blueberry and up to 34-37% for both
Table 3. Effect of frozen storage time on the color indices of frozen berries.
Frozen
Berries FR
0-F 2-F 4-F 6-F 8-F 10-F
Color density index
Raspberry 7.14 7.09 6.90 6.71 6.05 5.27 5.04
Blueberry 11.77 11.68 11.51 11.21 10.85 10.71 10.43
Blackberry 12.28 12.21 12.15 11.96 11.80 11.53 11.58
Polymeric color index
Raspberry 0.78 0.80 0.83 0.87 0.94 1.02 1.12
Blueberry 1.05 1.10 1.17 1.23 1.36 1.44 1.50
Blackberry 1.16 1.19 1.23 1.29 1.34 1.38 1.43
% polymeric color
Raspberry 10.92 11.28 12.03 12.97 15.54 19.35 22.22
Blueberry 8.92 9.42 10.17 10.97 12.53 13.45 14.38
Blackberry 9.45 9.75 10.12 10.79 11.36 11.97 12.35
42
FRAP (mM Fe2+/kg FW)
FW)
FRAP (mM Fe2+/kg FW )
42
Fe2+/kgFW)
40 39
38 39
Fe2+/kg
36 36 36
34 33
32 33
(mM
30 30
(mM
30
28 27
FRAP
27
26
FRAP
24 24 24
34 36 38 40 42
22 24 26 28 30 32 100 120 140 160 180 200
T t l thTotal anthocyanins
i ( /100 FW)
Vitamin C Total phenolics (mg/100 g FW)
(mg/100 g FW) (mg GAE/100 g FW)
Figure 2. Linear correlation between Figure 3. Linear correlation Figure 4. Linear correlation
FRAP = f(VC) for raspberry. between FRAP= f(P) for raspberry. between FRAP=f(A) for raspberry.