Residual polyphenol oxidase and peroxidase activities in high pressure processed bok choy (Brassica rapa subsp. chinensis) juice did not accelerate nutrient degradation during storage

Polyphenol oxidase (PPO) and peroxidase (POD) cannot be fully inactivated by commercial high pressure processing (HPP) operations, and their residual activities may accelerate nutrient degradation during storage. This study hence aimed to establish the effect of residual enzyme activity on nutrient preservation in bok choy (Brassica rapa subsp. chinensis) juice. Bok choy juice was treated at 600 MPa for up to 20 min and enzyme inactivation, nutrient retention immediately after treatment and nutrient preservation during storage were determined. High residual PPO (85.1 ± 2.6%) and POD (68.5 ± 1.0%) activities remained after 20 min of treatment. Increasing the pressure holding time to enhance enzyme inactivation did not compromise total antioxidant capacity, vitamin C, carotenoids, isothiocyanates and vitamin K levels. Neither did it significantly reduce the vitamin C degradation rate during refrigerated storage. Maximising enzyme inactivation may thus not be necessary for nutrient preservation during the storage of HPP-treated bok choy juice.Industrial relevance textWith HPP, an increase in pressure or holding time is required to achieve higher levels of enzyme inactivation. Without the need to maximize PPO and POD inactivation, juice processors may employ the minimum pressure and holding time required for microbial inactivation. As vegetative bacteria are typically less resistant to HPP inactivation than these enzymes, this could translate to reduced energy costs and increased throughput.