Abstract
Synthetic melatonin (N-acetyl-5-methoxytryptamine, MT) is popular in the US and Asian markets as a health supplement. Here, we identified a naturally occurring melatonin source in apple juice. Melatonin was present in all 18 apple cultivars tested. The highest melatonin level of the edible part of apple was detected in the apple peel. The melatonin content in ‘Fuji’ apple juice is comparable to the level of its flesh. Melatonin was consumed during the process of juicing due to its interaction with the oxidants. Melatonin addition significantly reduced the juice color change to brown (browning). The mechanism is that melatonin scavenges the free radicals, which was indicated by the ASBT analysis; therefore, inhibiting the conversion of o-diphenolic compounds into quinones. Most importantly, melatonin exhibited powerful anti-microorganism activity in juice. The exact mechanisms of this action are currently unknown. These effects of melatonin can preserve the quality and prolong the shelf life of apple juice. The results provide valuable information regarding commerciall apple juice processing and storage.
Highlights
Apple is one of the top four favorite fruits in the world
All the juice melatonin comes from the flesh since the melatonin from the peel may not be incorporated into the juice
The results showed that the highest melatonin level was in the peel of ‘Fuji’
Summary
Apple is one of the top four favorite fruits in the world. A total of 63,407,407 metric tons of apple worth approximately $23.5 billion are consumed yearly [1,2,3]. Apple is very popular as a healthy fruit and it contains multiple minerals, vitamins, and phytochemicals, including carotenoids, flavonoids, polyphenolic compounds, and phenolic acids [4,5,6,7,8,9,10]. Apple juices are important dietary sources of these bioactive compounds [10,11]. It was reported that consuming apples and apple juice effectively reduces the risk of several cancers, cardiovascular disease, and asthma [12]. Since melatonin is a potent antioxidant, in the current study, the antioxidant capacity of melatonin in apple and apple juice was systemically investigated
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