Abstract
The aim of this study was to compare the effects of sodium metabisulphite and the thiol compounds, glutathione (GSH), L-cysteine (CYS), and N-acetylcysteine (NAC), on the enzymatic browning, antioxidant activities, total phenolic, and ascorbic acid content of potatoes after 1, 24, and 48 hr. Three different concentrations (0.5%, 1.0%, and 2.0%) of each thiol compound were tested. While sulphite solution inhibited polyphenol oxidase as expected, NAC and CYS also decreased its activity. CYS-treated samples exhibited the highest residual thiol content, while the amount of residual thiol in GSH-treated samples was the lowest. The 2.0% NAC and 2.0% CYS solutions were the most effective at increasing antioxidant activity and ascorbic acid content; however, the results of total phenolic content assays were complicated. In summary, solutions containing 2.0% NAC, 1.0% CYS, and 2.0% CYS prevented enzymatic browning and increased the residual thiol content, ascorbic acid, and antioxidant activities of fresh-cut potatoes significantly, but GSH did not significantly inhibit browning. Practical applications: Fresh-cut potatoes are susceptible to enzymatic browning, which significantly reduces their commercial value. In literature, there have been several methods to protect the enzymatic browning of fruits and vegetables. Among these methods, thiols are good inhibitors of enzymatic browning. So, GSH, CYS, and NAC were used in this study. The outcomes of current work may help to inhibit polyphenol oxidase activity and increase the ascorbic acid content, residual thiol content, and antioxidant activity of fresh-cut potatoes. Both CYS and NAC may be useful alternatives to sulphite anti-browning agents, which may have adverse health effects.
Recommended Citation
İ. Cerit et al., "Postharvest Application of Thiol Compounds Affects Surface Browning and Antioxidant Activity of Fresh-Cut Potatoes," Journal of Food Biochemistry, vol. 44, no. 10, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., Jul 2020.
The definitive version is available at https://doi.org/10.1111/jfbc.13378
Department(s)
Chemistry
Keywords and Phrases
antioxidant activity; enzymatic browning; polyphenol oxidase; thiols
International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)
0145-8884; 1745-4514
Document Type
Article - Journal
Document Version
Final Version
File Type
text
Language(s)
English
Rights
© 2020 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. , All rights reserved.
Creative Commons Licensing
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Publication Date
29 Jul 2020
Comments
This work was supported by the Commission of Scientific Research Projects of Sakarya University, Project Number 2017-50-02-022