Abstract
Highly prized by consumers, watermelon is rich in water, but also in micronutrients including lycopene, pigment responsible for the red color. It is also a powerful antioxidant which has many virtues including the prevention and treatment of certain diseases. The transformation into nectar of watermelons combined with treatment could cause several modifications including the alteration of coloring. It is in this context that this study focuses on the variation of the lycopene content in nectars. Thus, nectars of 12°Brix and 15°Brix were prepared from three varieties of watermelon (Sugar Baby, Crimson Sweet and Charleston Gray). To study the stability, two pasteurization scales (85°C/15min and 95°C/15min) and one sterilization scale (105°C/15min) were applied to the different nectars produced. The results obtained showed that the Sugar Baby variety is richer in lycopene (24.39 mg·kg-1) with a higher pH (5.80). In addition, the study showed, for the Sugar Baby variety, an increase of lycopene with the addition of sugar and the heat treatment (a maximum of 42.83 mg·kg-1 for SbF12T105). On the other hand, for the Crimson Sweet and Charleston varieties, the highest rate of lycopene, except the heat-treated ones, are those formulated at 12°B (10.46 mg·kg-1 for CrF12T105 and 18.40 mg·kg-1 for ChF12T105). Without any health consequences, the formulation combined with heat treatment would preserve the lycopene content of watermelon nectars.
Highlights
Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) is a plant of the Cucurbitaceae family
It is in this context that this study focuses on the variation of the lycopene content in nectars
In terms of pH, there are no significant differences between the varieties Crimson Sweet (5.20) and Charleston Gray (5.21)
Summary
Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) is a plant of the Cucurbitaceae family. The fruit is a particular berry, spherical in shape, more or less oblong [1]. Its flesh which can be red, yellow, greenish or white generally weighs between 4 to 16 kg there is watermelon with bigger weight (120 kg) [1]. Watermelon is very rich in phenolic compounds, which are mainly derivatives of hydroxycinnamic acid and lycopene which gives watermelon its characteristic flesh red color and powerful antioxidant activity [3] [4]. The main pigment that causes red flesh color in watermelon is lycopene, which is considered one of the most important natural carotenoids in fruits [5]. It has the highest rate of oxygen quenching singlet of all carotenoids tested from biological systems [6]. The objective of this work is to study the impact of heat treatment and the addition of sugar during formulation on the lycopene concentration of watermelon nectars
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