Abstract
Peanut samples were irradiated (0.0, 5.2, 7.2 or 10.0 kGy), stored for a year (room temperature) and examined every three months. Mycotoxic fungi (MF) were detected in non-irradiated blanched peanuts. A dose of 5.2 kGy was found suitable to prevent MF growth in blanched samples. No MF was detected in in-shell peanuts, with or without irradiation. The colors of the control in-shell and blanched samples were, respectively, 44.72 and 60.21 (L *); 25.20 and 20.38 (Chroma); 53.05 and 86.46 (°Hue). The water activities (Aw) were 0.673 and 0.425. The corresponding fatty acids were 13.33% and 12.14% (C16:0), 44.94% and 44.92% (C18:1, ω9) and 37.10% and 37.63% (C18:2, ω6). The total phenolics (TP) were 4.62 and 2.52 mg GAE/g, with antioxidant activities (AA) of 16.97 and 10.36 μmol TEAC/g. Storage time negatively correlated with Aw (in-shell peanuts) or L *, linoleic acid, TP and AA (in-shell and blanched peanuts) but positively correlated with Aw (blanched peanuts), and with oleic acid (in-shell and blanched peanuts). Irradiation positively correlated with antioxidant activity (blanched peanuts). No correlation was found between irradiation and AA (in-shell samples) or fatty acids and TP (in-shell and blanched peanuts). Irradiation protected against MF and retained both the polyunsaturated fatty acids and polyphenols in the samples.
Highlights
Crude peanuts are of great importance in foods worldwide
Peanut skin color varies from light brown to deep red, and most color pigments in plants, especially red, purple and blue, belong to the flavonoid class of anthocyanins, with other flavonoid compounds acting as co-pigments [20]
Color can be affected by gamma radiation [11,12,13]
Summary
Crude peanuts are of great importance in foods worldwide. Peanut food products are usually used by consumers from a wide range of socio-economic classes. According to Dorner [1] the contamination of peanuts with mycotoxins, aflatoxins, is a worldwide problem that affects both food safety and agricultural economies. Peanuts are known to be a source of allergenic proteins, a problem that manifests itself most often in children and in adolescents and adults [2]. The authors suggested that the predominant useful effects of irradiation rely on the reaction of these species with the DNA of microorganisms, causing death. Oh et al [6] suggested that gamma radiation may reduce the allergenicity of peanut extracts. The alteration of epitopes by the denaturation of peanuts after irradiation may induce a lower response by T cells. The allergic reaction appears to be the result of a TH2-type T-cell response to one or more common environmental allergens [7]
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