Physiological characterization, antioxidant potential, and bacterial survival of soybean sprouts subjected to pre- and post-harvest low intensity ultrasound and exogenous ascorbic acid application

Abstract

The effects of individual ultrasound (US) and ascorbic acid (AsA), as well as their combination on the phytochemical composition and antioxidant activity of soybean sprouts, were studied. Present results showed that the application of US (100 W) improved the sprouting potential of sprouts, while combined treatment of US (100 W) and AsA (1%, w/v) gathered the highest biomass with the enhancement of AsA accumulation and sugar consumption in sprouts. Elicitation with both US and AsA markedly enhanced the content of proline and total phenolics, further resulting in the elevated antioxidant capacity in sprouts, as evidenced by the higher observation values of antioxidant enzyme (SOD, CAT, POD, and PAL) activities and radical scavenging capacities. Furthermore, simultaneous treatment of US and AsA exhibited excellent antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli and Salmonella enteritidis without the alteration of color in soybean sprouts. Thus, these results indicated that combined elicitation of US and AsA could serve as a sustainable strategy for improving the physicochemical characteristics, functional attributes, and microbial inactivation efficacy of soybean sprouts.