Dehydrofreezing of pineapple

Dehydrofreezing technique involves one step of partial dehydration before freezing, in order to diminish the tissue damage by removing part of water from vegetable tissue prior to freezing. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the effect of osmotic dehydration and hot air-drying, applied previous to the freezing process, on the end quality of pineapple slices. Quality loss was quantified through drip loss, ascorbic acid content and mechanical properties changes of tissue. Freezing was carried out in a conventional air-blast tunnel at −31.5 ± 2 °C. Mechanical properties of fresh and dehydrated fruit, with and without the later process of freezing, were evaluated through compression tests. Ascorbic acid content was quantified by liquid chromatography. Osmotic dehydration and hot air-drying have the beneficial effect of reducing the time necessary for pineapple samples freezing. The freezing–thawing process affects the values of pineapple samples mechanical properties. Ascorbic acid losses were somewhat greater during the osmotic dehydration than with air dehydration.     

Technological aspects for restructuring concentrated pineapple pulp

This study investigated how different concentrations of alginate, low methoxy pectin and glycerol could be used to obtain restructured concentrated pineapple pulp, with the aid of response surface methodology. The results of a central composite design show that changes in pectin and alginate levels have statistically significant effects on the firmness of restructured pineapple fruit. Products with the highest values for firmness resulted from using 16 g/kg of both alginate and pectin independent of the concentration of glycerol used. Glycerol, used at the concentration of 100 g/kg, reduced the water activity of the restructured product to an intermediate moisture level (0.880), besides substituting part of the sucrose incorporated into the fruit pulp. A mixture of low methoxy pectin and alginate made it possible to obtain very firm structured fruits using acid pulps. The restructured fruit formulated with a high content of concentrated pineapple pulp (735 g/kg), low sugar content (210 g/kg) and a combination of alginate (20 g/kg), pectin (10 g/kg) and glycerol (100 g/kg), partially dehydrated to 20% moisture content (w.b.), was evaluated by a group of panelists and received a mean score of 5.45, between “liked slightly” and “liked moderately” on the seven-point hedonic scale.     

Physiological and quality changes of fresh-cut pineapple treated with antibrowning agents

The physiological responses of pineapple slices to antibrowning agents have been studied. Slices were immersed for 2 min in solutions of isoascorbic acid (IAA) 0.1 mol/l, ascorbic acid (AA) 0.05 mol/l or acetyl cysteine (AC) 0.05 mol/l, packaged in polystyrene trays, prior to storage for up to 14 days at 10°C. The use of these antibrowning agents reduced browning and decay of pineapple slices significantly. These treatments also reduced changes in L^* and b^* values as well as firmness loss. Changes of in-package atmosphere did not adversely affect quality of slices. Slices treated with 0.1 mol/l IAA had the best visual appearance and were more acceptable compared with the control slices. The best results were obtained using IAA, followed by AC and AA. Organoleptic attributes were not affected and no off-flavors were detected in the treated slices. We conclude that pineapple slices can be maintained in good condition for up 14 days at 10°C following treatment with antibrowning agents.     

Adsorption isotherm and heat of sorption of osmotically pretreated and air-dried pineapple slices.

Slabs (1 ×1.5 ×5 cm) of pineapple were immersed in sucrose solutions of 52°B, 60°B and 68°B (w/w) at 25 °C for 12 h. Osmosed pineapple slices were subsequently air-dried at 60 °C for 72 h. Adsorption isotherms of osmo-dried pineapple slices were determined at 20 °C and 40 °C, using the gravimetric-static method. Isotherms were modeled using Brunnauer, Emmet and Teller (BET) and Guggenheim Anderson de Boer (GAB) models. Heat of moisture adsorptions were calculated from adsorption data using the Clausius-Clapeyron equation. Adsorption isotherms of osmo-oven-dried pineapple followed the characteristic type III (J-shape) isotherms. Equilibrium moisture contents at constant water activity decreased with increasing temperature, but crossing of the isotherms occurred at a_w~ 0.86. GAB and BET monolayer moisture decreased with increased temperature. The net isosteric heat increased with decreased moisture content, and decreased with increased sucrose pretreatment concentration of pineapple slices.     

Modeling the influence of water activity and ascospore age on the growth of Neosartorya fischeri in pineapple juice

The ascospores of resistant fungi, Neosartorya fischeri, can survive commercial pasteurization, diminishing the shelf life of these products. The time that the ascospores remain in the environment and the effect that they can cause on mold growth are still unknown. This study is aimed to evaluate the influence of water activity (a_w) from 0.90 to 0.99 and the ascospore age (I) from 30 to 90 days of vitro incubation on the growth of N. fischeri in pineapple juice by mathematical modeling. The growth parameters on pineapple juice: adaptation phase (λ), maximum specific growth rate (μ_max) and maximum diameter reached by the colony (A) were obtained by fitting Modified Gompertz and Logistic models to the experimental data. Both models were able to describe microbial growth in pineapple juice, but the Modified Gompertz model presented a slightly superior performance based on statistical indices (correlation coefficients (R²), mean square error (MSE), Bias Factor and Accuracy Factor). The minimum values of λ and A, calculated by the Modified Gompertz model, were 64.7 h and 6.3 mm, while the maximum values were 178.2 h and 20.8 mm, respectively. The result showed that ascospore age did not influence the growth but a_w was statistically significant to the growth parameters λ and A.     

Shelf stable intermediate moisture pineapple (Ananas comosus) slices using hurdle technology

A process has been developed to prepare shelf stable ready-to-eat (RTE) intermediate moisture pineapple (Ananas comosus) slices using hurdle technology. The combination of hurdles including osmotic dehydration, infrared drying, and gamma radiation dose of 1 kGy successfully reduced the microbial load to below detectable limit. The shelf life of the intermediate moisture pineapple slices was found to be 40 days at ambient temperature (26 ± 2 °C). The untreated control samples spoiled within 6 days. The RTE intermediate moisture pineapple slices were found to have good texture, colour and sensory acceptability during this 40 days storage.     

壳聚糖对菠萝汁澄清效果的研究

研究了壳聚糖对菠萝汁的澄清效果，确定了最佳的工艺参数，并在单因素试验的基础上，通过多因素正交试验，获得澄清菠萝汁的最适工艺条件为：壳聚糖用量0．05％、果汁pH为3、温度35℃，此时菠萝汁的透光率能达到了96％以上。     

Effects of the methods of pre-treatment before freezing on the retention of chlorophylls in frozen leaf vegetables prepared for consumption

The investigation included kale, New Zealand spinach and spinach. The evaluation covered the raw material; the raw material after blanching; the raw material after cooking; and frozen products prepared for consumption after 0, 4, 8 and 12 months of refrigerated storage. Both the traditional method of freezing (blanching before freezing) and the modified method of freezing (cooked before freezing) were used in the experiment, as well as two storage temperatures, T = −20 °C and T = −30 °C. The content of chlorophylls in fresh kale was four times that in New Zealand spinach and 1.5 times that in spinach. With the exception of New Zealand spinach, blanching and cooking significantly reduced the content of chlorophylls. In kale products prepared for consumption, the content of chlorophylls decreased in each successive stage of the investigation. In products of New Zealand spinach and spinach, the losses were usually not significant. After 12 months of refrigerated storage, frozen kale products prepared for consumption retained 52–65% of total chlorophylls compared with the content in the raw material; products of New Zealand spinach and spinach retained 66–71%. In kale and New Zealand spinach, the content of chlorophyll a decreased more rapidly than that of chlorophyll b, while in spinach the converse was true. The kale products obtained using the modified method contained more chlorophylls, while in the two spinach species their content was lower. The lower storage temperature resulted in a higher retention of chlorophylls in vegetables.     

Water desorption thermodynamic properties of pineapple

The water desorption isotherms of pineapple were determined at 5, 15, 25, 35 and 45 °C by using a gravimetric technique within the water activity range of 0.1–0.9. The effect of the temperature showed a cross-over of the desorption isotherms at water activity of 0.75. The experimental data was fitted to the GAB model taking into account the effect of the temperature. The obtained simulation could be considered satisfactory (mean relative error <5.0% and percentage of explained variance >99.8%). The net isosteric heat of sorption () and the differential entropy (S_d) were estimated as functions of the moisture content, the enthalpy–entropy compensation theory was applied to sorption isotherms and plots of Q^st vs. S_d provided the isokinetic temperature, suggesting an enthalpy controlled sorption process.     

Thermal inactivation of polyphenoloxidase in pineapple puree

Prevention of browning in pineapple puree by thermal inactivation of enzyme, Polyphenoloxisase (PPO), was examined between 40 and 90 °C and in relation to exposure time. The amount of inactivation was measured as a function of time and temperature under isothermal conditions. Reaction rate constant and activation energy (E_a) as well as Decimal reduction time (D) and z-value of thermal inactivation, were determined. The rate of inactivation varied with temperatures and follows a logarithmic law. Kinetic studies showed that the thermal inactivation (40-90 °C) of the PPO followed first-order kinetics.     

Analysis of volatile compounds of pineapple wine using solid-phase microextraction techniques

An analytical procedure based on headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) method combined with GC–MS was developed for the extraction and quantification of volatile compounds from pineapple wine. Different sample preparation (SPME fibre type, addition of sodium chloride, extraction time and temperature) were evaluated to optimise the method. For the final method, 8 ml of pineapple wine were placed in a 15 ml headspace vial with addition of 1 g of NaCl; a polydimethylsiloxane SPME fibre was used for extraction at 30 °C for 30 min with continuous stirring. The volatile compounds have shown a good linearity in the range of concentrations studied with regression coefficients higher than 0.98, and the reproducibility expressed as relative standard deviation ranged from 4.2% (2-phenylethyl acetate) to 7.1% (ethyl benzoate). The values obtained for detection and quantification limits were low enough to permit the determination of volatiles in pineapple wine. Using this method, 18 volatiles were identified, including 13 esters, 4 alcohols and one acid. Ethyl octanoate, ethyl acetate, 3-methyl-1-butanol and ethyl decanoate were the major constituents. A tentative study to estimate the contribution of the identified compounds to the aroma of the wine, on the basis of their odour activity values (OAV), indicated that the compounds potentially most important to pineapple wine included ethyl octanoate, ethyl acetate and ethyl 2-methylpropanoate.     

Rheological properties of ultraviolet-irradiated and thermally pasteurized Yankee pineapple juice

The rheological behaviour of Yankee pineapple juice was examined for the effect of ultraviolet (UV) irradiation (53.42 mJ/cm²) and compared with untreated juice and a thermally pasteurized (80 °C for 10 min) juice. A rheological test was performed on all types of juice in the temperature range 5 °C to 25 °C using a concentric cylinder rheometer at a shear rate range of 10–290 s⁻¹. The comparative analysis found that the best flow curves were described by the Bingham model with an initial shear stress. The entangled pulps in the juices prevented free flow at zero shear rate. There was no significant variation between the plastic viscosities of the untreated and UV-irradiated juice at all temperatures. The activation energy (E_a) of the untreated, UV-irradiated and thermally pasteurized juice was 6.80, 8.19 and 8.50 kJ/mol respectively.     

Changes in chemical composition of the kew cultivar of pineapple fruit during development

The chemical composition of the Kew cultivar of Indian pineapple (Ananas cosmosus L.) was studied after 65 days (pre-mature), 100 days (early mature), and 150 days (late-mature) from flowering. The fruit was analysed for sugars, amino acids and minerals. Total soluble carbohydrates increased from 6.02 to 9.24%, and protein content decreased from 0.69 to 0.21%, during the fruit-development process. The vitamin C content decreased from 20.4 to 11.1 mg 100 g^?1 edible fruit during development. Fructose, glucose and sucrose together constituted approximately 5.0% (pre-mature), 2.4% (early mature), and 1.2% (late-mature) of fresh weight. The contents of iron, boron and zinc increased during development. The major minerals in the mature fruit were potassium (31.33 mg 100 g^?1), phosphorus (3.13 mg 100 g^?1), calcium (3.92 mg 100 g^?1), sodium (2.63 mg 100 g^?1), iron (3.22 mg 100 g^?1), zinc (0.55 mg 100 g^?l), and copper (0.06 mg 100 g^?1) of fresh sample. The content of most amino acids decreased during development; only aspartic acid showed a considerable increase in the late-mature fruit.     

Influence of gas sparging on clarification of pineapple wine by microfiltration

A microfiltration process with a tubular ceramic membrane was applied for clarification of pineapple wine. The process was operated with the membrane pore size of 0.2 μm at transmembrane pressure of 2 bar and crossflow velocity of 2.0 m/s. The effects of gas sparging on permeate flux, fouling and quality of clarified wine were studied. It was found that a relatively low gas sparging rate could increase permeate flux up to 138%. Further increase of the gas sparging rate did not improve permeate flux compared with that without gas sparging. Gas sparging affected the density of cake layer. Increasing gas sparging rate led to an increase in specific cake resistance. It was observed that increasing gas sparging rate could reduce reversible fouling rather than irreversible fouling. The turbidity of pineapple wine was reduced and a clear product with bright yellow color was obtained after microfiltration. The negative effect of gas sparging which caused a loss of alcohol content in the wine was also observed.     

Total phenolics, flavonoids and antioxidant activity of tropical fruit pineapple

Pineapple has several beneficial properties including antioxidant activity. The fruit of pineapple was extracted with ethyl acetate, methanol and water. The phenolic content of the extracts was determined by Folin-Ciocalteu method and antioxidant activity was assayed through some in vitro models such as antioxidant capacity by phosphomolybdenum, ??-carotene-linoleate, and radical scavenging activity using ??,??-diphenyl-??-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) method. The phenolic contents of the extracts as caffeic acid equivalents were found to be highest in methanol (51.1%) followed by ethyl acetate (13.8%) and water extract (2.6%). Antioxidant capacity of the extracts as equivalent to ascorbic acid (??mol/g of the extract) was in the order of methanol extract > ethyl acetate extract > water extract. In comparison with butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), at 100 ppm of concentration, the antioxidant and free radical scavenging activities of the extracts assayed through ??-carotene-linoleate and DPPH method were also found to be highest with methanol extract followed by ethyl acetate and water extracts. The results indicated that the extent of antioxidant activity of the extract is in accordance with the amount of phenolics present in that extract and the pineapple fruit being rich in phenolics may provide a good source of antioxidant.     

超声波辅助提取菠萝皮渣多糖及其抗氧化活性研究

采用超声波技术辅助提取菠萝皮渣多糖,利用正交设计实验优化其提取工艺,并利用体外实验研究该多糖对羟自由基（·OH）、DPPH自由基（DPPH·）的清除能力及其还原能力,以评价其抗氧化活性。研究结果表明,超声波辅助提取最佳工艺参数为:料液比1∶50（m/v）,时间40 min,温度60℃,功率为570 W,该条件下多糖的得率为2.38%;在本实验浓度范围（1.50³.50 mg/m L）内,菠萝皮渣多糖对·OH的清除率随其浓度的增加而增加,但清除能力均低于同浓度VC,清除DPPH·自由基的IC₅₀为2.47 mg/m L,对Fe³⁺的还原能力随多糖浓度的增加而增加。可见,超声波辅助提取工艺效果较好,能缩短提取时间,提高菠萝皮渣多糖的得率;体外抗氧化实验表明菠萝皮渣多糖具有一定的抗氧化活性。从菠萝皮渣中提取活性多糖,可以变废为宝,实现菠萝资源的高值化利用。      

Use of hydrocolloids as cryoprotectant for frozen foods

Freezing is one of the widely used preservation methods to preserve the quality of food products but it also results in deteriorative changes in textural properties of food which in turn affects its marketability. Different foodstuffs undergo different types of changes in texture, taste and overall acceptability upon freezing and subsequent frozen storage. Freezing and thawing of pre-cut or whole fruits and vegetables causes many deleterious effects including texture and drip losses. The major problem in stability of ice-cream is re-crystallization phenomena which happens due to temperature fluctuations during storage and finally impairs the quality of ice-cream. Frozen storage for longer periods causes rubbery texture in meat and fish products. To overcome these problems, hydrocolloids which are polysaccharides of high molecular weight, are used in numerous food applications involving gelling, thickening, stabilizing, emulsifying etc. They could improve the rheological and textural characteristics of food systems by changing the viscosity. They play a major role in retaining texture of fruits and vegetables after freezing. They provide thermodynamic stability to ice cream to control the process of re-crystallization. Hydrocolloids find application in frozen surimi, minced fish, and meat products due to their water-binding ability. They are also added to frozen bakery products to improve shelf-stability by retaining sufficient moisture and retarding staling. Various hydrocolloids impart different cryoprotective effects to food products depending upon their solubility, water-holding capacity, rheological properties, and synergistic effect with other ingredients during freezing and frozen storage.     

Storage quality of pineapple juice non-thermally pasteurized and clarified by microfiltration

Microfiltration (MF) is classified as a non-thermal process for the fruit juice industry. It could provide a better preservation of the phytochemical property and flavor of the juice. This work aimed to study the stability of phytochemical properties including vitamin C, total phenolic content, antioxidant capacity (2-Diphenly-1-picrylhydrazyl: DPPH, free radical scavenging capacity and Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity: ORAC assays), microbial and chemical–physical (color, browning index, pH and total soluble solid) properties of MF-clarified pineapple juice during storage at various temperatures (i.e. 4, 27, and 37 °C). The juices were clarified by microfiltration using hollow fiber module. The results showed that most of the phytochemical properties and soluble components were retained in the juice after microfiltration. No microbial growth was detected after 6 months of storage. The storage time and temperature did not affect total soluble solids and pH (P > 0.05). The color (L^*) of clarified juice stored at 4 °C was lighter than the juices stored at higher temperature levels (P < 0.05). The phytochemical properties and total phenol content of the juice significantly decreased as storage time and temperature increased (P < 0.05). Vitamin C content was the attribute that affected storage time and temperature most as indicated by reaction rate constant and activated energy. Storage of non-thermally pasteurized and clarified pineapple juice at 4 °C was the most suitable since it allowed the best quality preservation.     

Mass transfer during osmotic dehydration of pineapple: considering Fickian diffusion in cubical configuration

Osmotic dehydration kinetics of pineapple cubes (15×15×15 mm³) was studied over a range of concentration (40-70°B) and temperature (30-50°C) of osmotic solution. The effective diffusion coefficients for water and solute diffusion were determined, considering pineapple as cubical configuration, assuming osmotic dehydration to be governed by Fickian diffusion. The effective diffusion coefficients for water as well as solute were empirically correlated with concentration and temperature of osmotic solution. A high degree of correlation was observed between predicted and experimental values of the effective diffusion coefficients of water (R²=0.99) as well as solute (R²=0.96).     

Freezing time prediction for partially dried papaya puree with infinite cylinder geometry

Dehydrofreezing which is the drying of foods to intermediate moisture content and subsequent freezing has the advantages of lowering the transportation costs due to reduced weight and improved texture. The available empirical equations for freezing time prediction and the experimental data on thermo-physical properties are for fresh produce. Some of these empirical equations were used to predict the freezing times of papaya puree infinite cylinders with initial moisture contents ∼52% to ∼91%. The accuracies of these methods to predict the freezing times for final center temperatures of −10 °C and −18 °C were discussed. The most accurate methods for fresh and partially dries papaya puree were suggested.