title: Degradation kinetics of bioactive components, antioxidant activity, colour and textural properties of selected vegetables during blanching.
abstract: Bioactive components of fruit and vegetables play an important role in scavenging free radicals and protect the body from degenerative diseases. A kinetic study was conducted to quantify the losses occurring in bioactive components, antioxidant activity and changes in colour and firmness of four commonly used vegetables (beetroot, green pea, eggplant and green pepper) during heat treatment (70-90 °C). The study revealed that logistic model can predict the variation in bioactive components and antioxidant activity with higher R2and lower root mean square error (RMSE) as compared to first order model due to logarithmic reduction in these properties in the beginning of the process itself. However zero and first order kinetic models were found suitable to predict the changes occurring in colour and firmness respectively during blanching.D,zvalue, activation energy (Ea), activation enthalpy and entropy were calculated for all measured parameters for selected vegetables in the temperature range of 70-90 °C. These finding would be useful in designing thermal processes and related calculations for these vegetables.
authors.affiliation: ICAR-Central Institute of Post-Harvest Engineering and Technology, Punjab, India.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Eyarkai Nambi
authors.affiliation: ICAR-Central Institute of Post-Harvest Engineering and Technology, Punjab, India.
authors.forename: R K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Gupta
authors.affiliation: ICAR-Central Institute of Post-Harvest Engineering and Technology, Punjab, India.
authors.forename: Sunil
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Science and Technology, Dr.YSP University of Horticulture and Forestry, Solan, HP India.
authors.forename: P C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Sharma
keywords: Ascorbic acid; Beetroot; Firmness; Green pea; Thermal resistance time; Total phenolic content; z value and activation energy