Antioxidant capacity and total phenolic compounds changes in 'Pero of Cehegin' apple stored in air and controlled atmosphere

摘要

The 'Pero of Cehegin' is a recently improved late Spanish cultivar of apple mainly cultivated in the Region of Murcia (Spain). It has high phenolic compounds content (PCC) and total antioxidant capacity (TAC). The aim of this work was to study the changes in the PCC, TAC and quality parameters after 6 months of storage at 4°C in a controlled atmosphere (CA) of 3 kPa CO_ and 3.5 kPa O2, and in air (control), as well as after complementary 10 days at 20°C (as market life simulation). The PCC was determined by Folin-Ciocalteu assay and the TAC by ABTS, DPPH and FRAP methods. The peel of apples kept under CA or air, showed higher PCC and TAC than the flesh. The PCC in the peel increased from 357±12 until 622±24 (control) and 593±29 mg GAE g1 fw (CA) after 4 months of storage, but it decreased after 6 month, as well as during market life in both treatments, almost reaching the initial value. This decrease may be due to superficial scald developed in apples from both treatments, although their incidence was higher in the control. The ABTS method achieved the best correlation (r2=0.68-0.83). TAC in flesh increased during storage until market life being higher in CA than in Control apples. The initial value was 28±3 mg Trolox g1 fw and increased incontrol and CA (88±14 and 113±10 mg Trolox g1 fw, respectively) at the end of market life. As main conclusion, both storage treatments did not affect the quality attributes and induced peel PCC increments around 50 to 70% in control and CA apples respectively, while the TAC in flesh was four times higher than initial value at the end of the market life.