Effect of high hydrostatic pressure on functional properties and quality characteristics of Aloe vera gel (Aloe barbadensis Miller)

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of high hydrostatic pressure treatment at three pressure levels (300, 400 and 500 Mpa) on the functional and quality characteristics of Aloe vera gel including vitamin C and E, aloin, minerals, phenolic content and antioxidant activity. The results show that HHP exerted a clear influence on minerals content, vitamin C and E content, antioxidant activity, total phenolic and aloin content. After 35 days of storage all treated samples presented a decrease in mineral content, except for phosphorus. Total phenolic content and vitamin C and E content decreased at high pressures (500 MPa), while all pressurised samples showed a higher antioxidant activity and aloin content than untreated sample after 35 days of storage. The maximum values of antioxidant activity and aloin were 6.55 ± 1.26 μg/ml at 300 MPa and 24.23 ± 2.27 mg/100 g d.m. at 400 MPa.     

Hot-air drying characteristics of Aloe vera (Aloe barbadensis Miller) and influence of temperature on kinetic parameters

The aim of this research was to study and model the kinetics of the hot-air drying of Aloe vera (Aloe barbadensis Miller) and to evaluate the influence of temperature on the kinetic parameters for the proposed models. A convective dryer was used at 50, 60, 70, 80 and 90 °C with an air flow of 2.0±0.2 m/s. The sorption isotherm of the fresh product was mathematically described by the Guggenheim, Anderson and de Boer (GAB) model, giving as a result monolayer moisture of 0.20 g water/g d.b. The mathematical models evaluated in the kinetic research included five empirical equations (Newton, Henderson-Pabis, Page, modified Page and Fick's diffusional model). The fit quality of the proposed models was evaluated by using the linear regression coefficient (r²), sum square error (SSE), root mean square error (RMSE) and Chi-square statistic (χ²). The diffusivity coefficient increased with the temperature from 5.30 to 17.73×10⁻¹⁰ m²/s, for a range of temperatures between 50 and 90 °C, with an estimated activation energy of 30.37 kJ/mol. When comparing the experimental moisture values with those estimated by the proposed models, the modified Page model provided the best to fit of the data, showing that this equation correctly simulates the Aloe vera drying process and represents an excellent tool for estimating its drying time.     

Effect of temperature and air velocity on drying kinetics, antioxidant capacity, total phenolic content, colour, texture and microstructure of apple (var. Granny Smith) slices

The aim of this work was to study the effect of temperature and air velocity on the drying kinetics and quality attributes of apple (var. Granny Smith) slices during drying. Experiments were conducted at 40, 60 and 80 °C, as well as at air velocities of 0.5, 1.0 and 1.5 m s⁻¹. Effective moisture diffusivity increased with temperature and air velocity, reaching a value of 15.30 × 10⁻⁹ m² s⁻¹ at maximum temperature and air velocity under study. The rehydration ratio changed with varying both air velocity and temperature indicating tissue damage due to processing. The colour difference, ΔE, showed the best results at 80 °C. The DPPH-radical scavenging activity at 40 °C and 0.5 m s⁻¹ showed the highest antioxidant activity, closest to that of the fresh sample. Although ΔE decreased with temperature, antioxidant activity barely varied and even increased at high air velocities, revealing an antioxidant capacity of the browning products. The total phenolics decreased with temperature, but at high air velocity retardation of thermal degradation was observed. Firmness was also determined and explained using glass transition concept and microstructure analysis.     

Effect of high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) on structure and activity of phytoferritin

High hydrostatic pressure (HHP) has drawn considerable attention because of its potential application in food industry. Ferritin, an iron storage protein, is widely distributed in food made from legume seeds, which is highly stable due to its shell-like structure. Therefore, it is of special interest to know whether or not high HHP treatment has effect on this protein. In this study, the structure and activity of soybean seed ferritin (SSF) were examined by circular dichroism spectrum (CD), UV–VIS and fluorescence spectrophotometry in conjunction with stopped-flow light scattering upon treatment with HHP at 400 MPa for 10 min. Results revealed that such treatment has little effect on the primary and secondary structure of SSF, but pronouncedly altered its tertiary and quaternary structure. As a result, the protein aggregation property and iron release activity were dramatically changed, while its activity of iron oxidative deposition was kept unchanged.     

Effect of high hydrostatic pressure on antimicrobial activity and quality of Manuka honey

The antimicrobial activity of Manuka honey is of major interest to beekeepers and the honey industry. In this study, the effect of high hydrostatic pressure and thermal treatments on antimicrobial activity and quality parameters (principally, diastase number and hydroxymethylfurfural levels (HMF)) of Manuka honey were investigated. The honey was subjected to different pressures (100-800MPa) at 25°C for a range of holding times (15-120min). The antimicrobial activity was found to increase with applied pressure for a given holding time, while the diastase number and HMF levels remained, more or less, unaffected. The percentage inhibition in microbial growth correlated linearly (R(2)=0.94) with methyglyoxal concentration in the honey after treatment over the entire range of pressure, temperature and holding times studied. Maximum percentage inhibition (78.83%) was achieved when honey was subjected to 800MPa compared to the control (57.93%). Thermal treatments at higher temperatures were found to have a detrimental effect on antimicrobial activity based on percentage inhibition as well as methylglyoxal content. Thus, it can be concluded that the levels of methylglyoxal, and therefore the antimicrobial effect of Manuka honey, can be enhanced by using high pressure processing without adversely affecting honey quality.     

Effect of thermal and high hydrostatic pressure processing on antioxidant activity and colour of fruit smoothies

Fruit smoothie samples were thermally treated (P₇₀ ≥ 10 min) or high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) processed (450 MPa) with holding time of 1, 3 or 5 min and antioxidant activity, phenolic content and colour values (L*, a* and colour intensity) were determined. Significant reductions in antioxidant activity (p < 0.001) and phenolic content (p < 0.001) were observed at the applied pressure and a maximum treatment time of 5 min. Mean values for redness (a*) showed an increase (p < 0.001) in HHP processed smoothies compared to fresh. As expected, storage also had a significant effect on colour variables but the effect was more pronounced in high pressure treated samples stored for 30 days. Both colour and antioxidant activity were significantly affected by high pressure processing. Therefore, process optimisation of high pressure systems should be considered by processors prior to its adoption as a preservation technique in order to minimise the effect on the quality of fruit smoothie products.Industrial relevanceFruit smoothies have become popular with consumers and may significantly contribute to daily antioxidant intakes. Thermal processing has been shown to reduce the antioxidant activity of fruits, thus non-thermal methods of pasteurisation such as high hydrostatic pressure processing could help retain antioxidants in fruit smoothies offering a unique selling point for processors. The present study focussed on assessing the effect of thermal and high pressure processing on the antioxidant activity and phenolic content of fruit smoothies. Since decreases in levels of antioxidants were noted during long term storage it would appear that higher pressure treatments (> 450 MPa) might be required for better retention of antioxidant compounds in fruit smoothies.     

Effects of high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) on bioaccessibility,as well as antioxidant activity,mineral and starch contents in Granny Smith apple

The aim of this work was to study the effect of high hydrostatic pressure on the bioaccessibility of specific nutrients (antioxidant, minerals and starch) in apple and to establish processing conditions that maximise the health benefits. The apple was pressurised at 500 MPa during 2, 4, 8 and 10 min. The antioxidant activity, mineral and starch content and bioaccessibility of apple samples were significantly affected by the processing and digestion conditions. Therefore, these results indicated that in vitro digestion has a noticeable effect on the antioxidant concentration, IC₅₀, with much lower values (a smaller IC₅₀ value corresponds to a higher antioxidant activity) of apple samples compared with those untreated and non-digestion. Apple has the highest calcium content (30.33 ± 1.94 mg/100 g), iron (14.46 ± 3.49 mg/100 g) and zinc (6.22 ± 0.91 mg/100 g). High hydrostatic pressure increased the mineral contents availability by 2.11–303.00% for calcium, 4.63–10.93% for iron and 8.68–28.93% for zinc. The dialysability and solubility of calcium, iron and zinc with respect to the values for the untreated sample were reduced by this high pressure technique. Consumption of apple under high hydrostatic pressure may supply substantial antioxidants, mineral and starch, which may provide health promoting and disease preventing effects.     

Evaluation of high pressure pretreatment for enhancing the drying rates of carrot,apple, and green bean

Preservation of fresh produce by drying dates back to ancient times and is still an indispensible technique. Conventional drying of fruits and vegetables is often accompanied by changes in color, texture, and taste. Suitable pretreatments can improve the drying process by reducing the drying time, yielding higher-quality products, and energy savings. In this study, two varieties of apples, Amasya and red delicious, green beans and carrots were pretreated with high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) at different pressure–time–temperature combinations (100–300 MPa for 5–45 min at 20 and 35 °C) prior to drying. The drying experiments were carried out by using a hot-air tunnel dryer at different temperatures (27–85 °C) and air velocities of 0.4 and 0.8 m/s with constant external conditions. Improving the drying conditions by increasing the drying temperature generally masked the effect of HHP pretreatment on drying rate. Generally, pressures of more than 100 MPa caused cell permeabilization resulting in higher drying rates. Among 14 models, the modified Page model was found to best explain the drying behaviors and model constants were evaluated accordingly. The Tukey multiple comparison test was applied on characteristic drying times to evaluate the relative effects of different pretreatments and drying conditions.     

High hydrostatic pressure effect on chemical composition,color, phenolic acids and antioxidant capacity of Cape gooseberry pulp (Physalis peruviana L.)

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) at 300, 400 and 500 MPa/1, 3 and 5 min on nutritional and antioxidant properties of Cape gooseberry pulp after immediate application and after 60 days of storage. Proximal analysis, color, phenolic acids content and antioxidant capacity were determined. When analyzing the immediate effect of different treatments, a clear influence of HHP was observed in all the components of the proximal analysis. Regarding color, none of the three chromatic parameters showed significant differences with control leading to a minimum ΔE at 300 MPa/3 min. Changes in bound and free phenolic acids were evidenced after treatments. The maximum levels of TPC as well as antioxidant capacity were observed at 500 MPa/5 min. By the end of storage, all treated samples discolored leading to ΔE = 14.9 at 500 MPa/5 min. The profile of free and bound phenolic acids presented differences compared to Day 0. The antioxidant capacity by means of ORAC increased for treatments above 300 MPa/5 min indicating the effectiveness of these treatments for the production of functional products based on gooseberry pulp. For treatments above 400 MPa/3 min, molds and yeasts were not detected.     

Effect of High Pressure Processing on Rheological Properties,Pectinmethylesterase Activity and Microbiological Characteristics of Aloe Vera (Aloe barbadensis Miller) Juice

Effect of pressure level (60–740 MPa), process dwell time (3–40 min), and pH (2.32–5.68) on rheological properties, pectinmethylesterase (PME) enzyme activity and microbiological characteristics of aloe vera juice was studied. A quadratic model was developed for rheological parameters and it was found that pressure level had the most significant effect on all the responses (p < 0.05) followed by pH and dwell time. Pectinmethylesterase activity was evaluated and a maximum of up to 30% inactivation was obtained. Microbial analysis of high pressure treated samples revealed that samples treated at 400 MPa for 20 min at pH 4 reduced microbial counts to <10 cfu mL^?1 achieving up to 5.66 log cycle reduction.     

Effect of high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) treatment on flavor,physicochemical properties and biological functionalities of garlic

The characterization of flavor, physicochemical properties and biological activities of garlic extracts prepared by high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) treatment (500 MPa) was conducted at various HHP reaction times and pH conditions. The evaluation of flavor revealed that HHP treated garlic samples in acidic condition (pH 1.8–3) were most effective to reduce the pungent flavor of garlic among all conditions.     

Effects of high hydrostatic pressure processing and subsequent storage on phenolic contents and antioxidant activity in fruit and vegetable products

Fresh fruits and vegetables have been reported to possess a variety of bioactivities partly due to their high abundance of phenolics. However, traditional thermal pasteurisation during fruit and vegetable processing typically induces a pronounced loss of phenolic compounds. In contrast, nonthermal pasteurisation techniques, especially high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) processing, are beneficial to the retention of phenolics. In addition to more effectively keeping original freshness, flavour and colour of fruit and vegetable products to the greatest extent, in most cases, HHP processing and subsequent storage more effectively sustain the levels of phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity in fruit and vegetable products compared with thermal pasteurisation. Therefore, HHP processing has a huge potential to preserve fruit and vegetable products rich in phenolic compounds.     

Effect of high hydrostatic pressure and temperature on carrot peroxidase inactivation

The combined effects of pressure and temperature on the activity of carrot peroxidase (POD) were investigated in the pressure range 0.1–600 MPa and the temperature range 25–45 °C. At lower pressures (<396 MPa), carrot POD stability increased compared to unpressurized samples. Inactivation of 91% was obtained at 600 MPa and 45 °C. High hydrostatic pressure (HHP) combined with temperature treatment enhanced the inactivation of carrot POD. Regeneration of POD activity with the combined HHP and temperature treatments followed first order kinetics at 25, 35 and 40 °C. Regeneration was not observed at 506 MPa and 45 °C. HHP had no significant effect on the loss of vitamin C or on protein content. HHP combined with mild heat treatment was found to be better than the thermal treatment at high temperatures for inactivation of POD in carrot processing.     

Effect of high hydrostatic pressure on antioxidant capacity, mineral and starch bioaccessibility of a non conventional food: Prosopis chilensis seed

The aim of this work was to assess the influence of high hydrostatic pressure on antioxidant capacity, mineral and starch bioaccessibility of a non conventional food: “algarrobo” Prosopis chilensis seed. The algarrobo seed was pressurized at 500 MPa during 2, 4, 8 and 10 min. The antioxidant activity, mineral and starch content and bioaccessibility of algarrobo samples were significantly affected by the processing and digestion conditions. All treatments increased the bioaccessibility of the antioxidant activity (IC₅₀), minerals (dialysis and solubility) and starch (resistant and digestible) compared to the untreated sample. Bioaccessibility of calcium, iron and zinc in the treated sample for 500 MPA at 10 min, expressed as percentage solubility, was several-fold higher (three, three and five times, respectively) than in the untreated sample. Similar effect was observed in IC₅₀ value, algarrobo seed untreated sample exhibited the lowest antioxidant activity (0.11 ± 0.005 mg/ml), and followed by all treated samples (500 MPa at 2, 4, 8 and 10 min) which showed the strongest activity.In summary, the antioxidant capacity, mineral and starch content of the seed may be underestimated in the literature because the extraction solvents usually used do not allow a complete release of antioxidant compounds and, additionally, non-extractable polyphenols with a high antioxidant capacity are ignored. This correspondingly applies to the starch and mineral content. On the other hand, the analysis of in vitro digestive enzymatic extracts suggests that the antioxidant activity, minerals and starch of seed in the human gut may be higher than what might be expected from literature data based on measurements of aqueous-organic extracts.     

High hydrostatic pressure treatment for manufacturing of garlic powder with improved microbial safety and antioxidant activity

The traditional method of manufacturing garlic powder (GP) that includes simple grinding of air-dried garlic slices has problems of microbial safety and a pungent flavour for this product. Microbiologically safe GP with a less pungent flavour and better antioxidant activities was manufactured using high hydrostatic pressure (HHP), wet grinding and freeze-drying process. The numbers of total aerobic bacteria and yeasts and molds in untreated (without HHP) GP were 3.64 and 2.47 log CFU/g respectively. Garlic powder treated with 600 MPa HHP for 5 min exhibited a total aerobes count of 1.62 CFU/g and a yeasts and molds count of 1.43 log CFU/g. The diallyl disulfide content, which is responsible for the pungent odour of garlic, was also significantly reduced by HHP due to a decrease in the alliinase activity. Hence, a novel process using HHP can help to produce GP with improved microbial safety, flavour and nutrition.     

超声波与超高压处理对全谷物糙米蒸煮品质和抗氧化活性的影响比较

本文采用不同超声波功率(160、280、400 W)和超高压强度(100、300、500 MPa)对糙米进行预处理,考察了糙米蒸煮品质以及抗氧化活性的变化,并对质构与蒸煮时间、多酚与抗氧化活性指标相关性进行了分析。结果表明两种处理方式均造成糙米硬度、胶黏性和咀嚼性显著(p<0.05)下降12%以上,超声波处理比超高压处理更显著(p<0.05)缩短了蒸煮时间(4.17~4.34 min)。同时,抗氧化测定结果表明,两种处理方式均显著(p<0.05)提高了糙米抗氧化活性,且超声波处理样品的FRAP、DPPH自由基清除能力分别高出超高压处理样品18.86%~23.14%和6.81%~13.41%。相关性分析表明:蒸煮时间与咀嚼性和回复性显著相关(p<0.05),总酚与糙米抗氧化活性相关性不显著(p>0.05),FRAP与DPPH自由基清除能力显著相关(p<0.05)。因此,本文研究结果表明超声波处理可作为一种廉价、简单的全谷物糙米预处理方法提升其蒸煮品质与营养属性。      

Effect of high hydrostatic pressure processing on the rennet coagulation kinetics and physicochemical properties of sheep milk rennet-induced gels

The effects of high hydrostatic pressure on the constituents and coagulation ability and their effect on cheese production of sheep milk have not been studied in detail. The objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of high hydrostatic pressure processing on the coagulation kinetics and physicochemical properties of sheep milk and to explore how such treatment could improve the cheesemaking process. Five batches of milk were tested: 1 untreated control batch and 4 batches each subjected to a different pressure (150, 300, 450, or 600 MPa) for 5 min at 10°C. As treatment pressure increased, values of electrical conductivity and oxidation-reduction potential were found to decrease. However, no significant reduction in pH was recorded. Treatment pressures >300 MPa produced milk with lower lightness (luminosity) and a more yellow and green hue. Pressures >150 MPa resulted in micellar fragmentation, as well as significant increases in particle size, viscosity, and water-holding capacity as a consequence of the denaturing of soluble proteins. High-pressure treatments increased the solubility of colloidal calcium phosphate, leading to a considerable increase in the concentration of minerals in the serum phase. The highest concentrations of calcium and phosphorus in the rennet whey of milk were reached at 300 MPa. Curd coagulation time was reduced by 28% at pressures >300 MPa, and an increase in the curd firming rate was observed. As treatment pressure increased to 450 MPa, the firmness, elasticity, and the percentage creep recovery of gels increased, whereas values of compliance and fracture strain were reduced. Thus, we can conclude that 300 MPa is the optimum treatment pressure for milk intended for cheesemaking by enzymatic coagulation. This pressure produced milk with optimal coagulation kinetics and water-holding properties with the least loss of fat and protein to the whey.     

Retrogradation properties of rice starch gelatinized by heat and high hydrostatic pressure (HHP)

Retrogradation process of pressure-gelatinized rice starches was investigated and compared with the heat-gelatinized ones in this study. Our results showed that the retrogradation rate of normal rice starch gelatinized by high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) was slower than that by heat. Nevertheless, there was no difference in retrogradation rate for waxy rice starch gelatinized by the two treatments (P > 0.05). The DSC data were further analyzed using the Avrami equation. The result indicated that the pressure-gelatinized normal rice starch had a lower recrystallization rate (k) and a higher Avrami exponent (n) than the heat-gelatinized one, but the two treatments did not affect the k and n for waxy rice starch. Furthermore, the intact starch granules and lower amylose leaching were observed only in the pressure-gelatinized normal rice starch. These findings suggest that the retardation mechanism of HHP on starch retrogradation is probably attributed to less broken granules and lower leached amylose.     

Effect of high hydrostatic pressure pretreatment on flavour and physicochemical properties of freeze-dried carambola slices

Ripe carambolas are hard to store and transport, while freeze-dried ones are easy to store. However, its long production time leads to higher costs. This study shows that high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) treatment could shorten the freeze-drying time of carambola slices. After HHP treatment (25–250 MPa), the drying time of the fresh sample can be shortened by 33.3–44.4% and the distribution of water and pigment in tissues is much uniform. With the increment of the pressure, 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and hydroxyl radical scavenging rate are increased. At 250 MPa, the total phenolic content (TPC) increased from 11.34 to 13.36 mg GAE g⁻¹, and the total flavonoid content (TFC) of the control sample was increased from 10.77 to 12.73 mg RE g⁻¹. Compared with the untreated sample, HHP treatment can enhance the flavour and shorten the freeze-drying time. This work guides the application of HHP technology for drying food processing.