title: Effects of hydrogen peroxide treatment on thiol contents in fresh-cut asparagus (Asparagus officinalis) spears.
abstract: In this work, the impact of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) was investigated on the thiol content of asparagus. Fresh-cut asparagus was treated with H2O2 at varied oxidant concentrations and contact times. A significant decrease (alpha=0.05) was observed in N-acetylcysteine levels treated with 2.5% H2O2 for 10 min and with 5% H2O2 for 3, 5 and 10 min. Captopril and cysteine levels significantly decreased (alpha=0.05) in all and most treatment conditions, respectively. Glutathione levels only significantly decreased with 2.5% and 5% H2O2 for 10 min treatment. In order to determine whether asparagus undergoes oxidative stress, a well-known oxidative stress indicator-the glutathione/oxidized glutathione ratio-was calculated. This study showed that the common use of H2O2 as a disinfectant/sterilizer by the food industry could markedly diminish the important biothiols and develop oxidative stress in asparagus, and potentially in other vegetables as well.
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Engineering, Sakarya University, Sakarya, Turkey. omcad@sakarya.edu.tr
authors.forename: Omca
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Demrkol
mesh_terms: D000111:Acetylcysteine / Q000032:analysis; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000032:analysis*; D027761:Asparagus Plant / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000187:drug effects*; D002216:Captopril / Q000032:analysis; D003545:Cysteine / Q000032:analysis; D004202:Disinfectants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005511:Food Handling; D005520:Food Preservatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D005978:Glutathione / Q000032:analysis; D019803:Glutathione Disulfide / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009753:Nutritive Value; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects; D013438:Sulfhydryl Compounds / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D004202:Disinfectants; D005520:Food Preservatives; D013438:Sulfhydryl Compounds; D002216:Captopril; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide; D005978:Glutathione; D003545:Cysteine; D019803:Glutathione Disulfide; D000111:Acetylcysteine