title: Combined effect of storage temperature and water activity on the antiglycoxidative properties and color of dehydrated apples.
abstract: Phytochemical contents, color, and inhibition efficacy toward oxidative and glycoxidative reactions were studied in dehydrated apples following storage in the water activity range from 0.1 to 0.7 at 20, 30, and 40 degrees C, which can be considered as room conditions. Hunter colorimetric parameters were analyzed at different temperatures and time intervals, and nonenzymatic browning was modeled according to pseudo-zero-order kinetics. The effect of temperature on the browning rate followed the Arrhenius equation, with an activation energy of 64000 J/mol, which was not affected by the water activity level. The phytochemical contents, inhibition efficacy of protein glycation, and antioxidant properties were then analyzed in the products stored under selected "equivalent" conditions in terms of browning effects, namely, 120 days/20 degrees C, 50 days/30 degrees C, and 22 days/40 degrees C. After storage for 120 days/20 degrees C, the retention percentages of hydroxycinnamic acids, phloridzin, and epicatechin were >86%, but ascorbic acid, catechin, and procyanidins were less stable; concurrently dehydrated apples retained about 80% of the radical scavenging activity and 70% of the ability to inhibit protein glycation. Following storage at higher temperatures the expected browning effect occurred in a shorter time scale; however, the patterns of product degradation were different. A sharp increase in the degradation rates of all antioxidants, relative to browning rate, was observed at temperatures >or=30 degrees C, and this trend was accelerated with concurrent increase in water activity at >0.3 levels. The application of low-temperature/long-time conditions for storage of dehydrated apples corresponded to maximum retention of their efficacy to counteract oxidative and glycoxidative reactions, which have been linked to human chronic diseases.
authors.affiliation: DISTAM, Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Alimentari e Microbiologiche, Universita degli Studi di Milano, 20133 Milano, Italy. vera.lavelli@unimi.it
authors.forename: Vera
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Lavelli
mesh_terms: D005511:Food Handling / Q000379:methods*; D005638:Fruit / Q000737:chemistry*; D006813:Humidity; D015416:Maillard Reaction; D027845:Malus / Q000737:chemistry*; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D010858:Pigmentation; D013696:Temperature; D013997:Time Factors