Abstract
Fresh-cut fruits and vegetables emerge as popular food for consumers in retail markets. However, a loss of millions of dollars yearly to the food industry has been due to discoloration of fruits and vegetables caused by a pronounced reaction called enzymatic browning, which is caused by the activity of the polyphenol oxidase enzyme present in most of the fruits and vegetables. The main objective of this study was to investigate the natural antibrowning effects of the aqueous extract of ginger and essential oil of cinnamon bark on PPO enzymatic activity in Annona muricata (katu anoda) and Musa acuminata (ash plantains), which are considered to be widely consumable by Sri Lankans due to its respective health benefits. The antibrowning activity analyzed using a UV-visible spectrophotometer at a wavelength of 525 nm showed that cinnamon bark oil of 0.0035 g/mL had a % inhibitory activity of 51.97 percent on PPO activity in Annona muricata and 49.51 percent on PPO activity in Musa acuminata, while the aqueous extract of ginger of 0.091 g/mL had a % inhibitory activity of 60.90 percent on PPO activity in Annona muricata and 48.10 percent on PPO activity in Musa acuminata, respectively. This study shows that cinnamon bark oil and ginger can be used as effective, natural, nontoxic antibrowning agents that can inhibit the activity of the PPO enzyme, thereby preventing the essence and nutritional benefits of fruits and vegetables.
Highlights
Some of the main attributes considered by consumers when making choices of food are flavour, texture, appearance, and nutritional value. e basic attribute considered in evaluation of food quality is the appearance of food which is mainly impacted by coloration
Coloration could be due to certain naturally occurring pigments such as chlorophyll, carotenoids, and anthocyanins, or by pigments resulting from both enzymatic and nonenzymatic reactions [1]. e most important colour reactions which occur in most of the fruits and vegetables are enzymatic browning, which is catalyzed by the oxidoreductase enzyme, polyphenol oxidase (PPO)
Previous results obtained from Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry state that on a research carried out on the supercritical CO2 extract of Cinnamomum zeylanicum: chemical characterization and antityrosinase activity, cinnamon bark oil consists 70–75% of cinnamaldehyde as one of its major constituents and that it shows an inhibition of 40% on activity of PPO present in white mushrooms (Agaricus bisporus) [16]
Summary
Some of the main attributes considered by consumers when making choices of food are flavour, texture, appearance, and nutritional value. e basic attribute considered in evaluation of food quality is the appearance of food which is mainly impacted by coloration. Some of the main attributes considered by consumers when making choices of food are flavour, texture, appearance, and nutritional value. E basic attribute considered in evaluation of food quality is the appearance of food which is mainly impacted by coloration. Coloration could be due to certain naturally occurring pigments such as chlorophyll, carotenoids, and anthocyanins, or by pigments resulting from both enzymatic and nonenzymatic reactions [1]. E most important colour reactions which occur in most of the fruits and vegetables are enzymatic browning, which is catalyzed by the oxidoreductase enzyme, polyphenol oxidase (PPO). Enzymatic browning is the main cause of quality loss in fruits and vegetables around the world and majorly in Sri Lanka. Fruits and vegetables around the world have vast number of health benefits for consumers due to their content of antioxidant compounds, vitamins, and fibres. In many fruits and vegetables, changes are seen to occur during preparation (fresh-cut fruits) and storage
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