Advantages of hydroxyl radical water treatment for the fruits and vegetables preservation

Abstract

In this study, the effects of hydroxyl radical water (HRW) treatment on the functional components, volatile compounds, and preservation properties of cherry tomatoes, grapes, coriander, and celery were investigated. The results demonstrated that HRW treatment could be significantly effective in delaying the color change and decay of fruits and vegetables. The loss of total sugars in the HRW-treated samples was relatively low, ranging from 0.02% to 0.84%. However, other functional components will be more severely affected. Specifically, celery exhibited a 17.95% decrease in total phenols and a 13.01% decrease in ascorbic acid, which may be caused by excessive surface area, indicating that the applicability of HRW to celery remains to be studied. The loss of functional components of both fruits could be controlled under 4%. Throughout the treatment, the phenolic profiles and volatile compounds remained stable. Notably, an increase in partial ester compounds, such as ethyl caproate, was observed in HRW-treated cherry tomatoes, which might improve the sensory function. Moreover, the reduction of some compounds obtained from the decomposition of fatty acid hydroperoxides may enhance the fresh odor of fruits and vegetables. Consequently, HRW treatment emerges as a safe and environmentally friendly technology for postharvest processing of fruits and vegetables.