Clear Juice Research Articles

Comparative study of high hydrostatic pressure and high temperature short time processing on quality of clear and cloudy Se-enriched kiwifruit juices

Abstract Selenium (Se) distribution was investigated and a comparative study was carried out into the effects of high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) and high temperature short time (HTST) treatments on quality for both clear and cloudy Se-enriched kiwifruit juice (clear-SKJ, cloudy-SKJ). Organic Se which accounted for 62.32% has a wider distribution than inorganic Se in kiwifruits and mainly comprising Se-protein and Se-polysaccharide. The process of separating kiwifruit pomace from juice caused significant decline in Se content with 43.07% and 49.04% in cloudy and clear juices respectively, and the sterilization process of HHP and HTST significantly decreased the Se contents from 50.46 ± 0.42 μg/kg to 39.63 ± 0.51 μg/kg and 37.93 ± 0.08 μg/kg in cloudy-SKJ, respectively. During the storage period, HTST- and HHP-processed juices showed no significant differences in total Se content, and similarly for certain chemical-physical qualities of total soluble solids, titratable acid, viscosity and pH. In addition, HHP (500 MPa/10 min) and HTST (110 °C/8.6 s) treatments inactivated yeasts and molds (Y&M) completely and sustained total aerobic bacteria (TAB) counts below 2.0 Log10 CFU/mL which guaranteed the microbiological safety in clear-SKJ during storage at 4 °C and 25 °C for 42 days, but TAB counts were detected >2.0 Log10 CFU/mL which demonstrated a shorter shelf life in cloudy-SKJ under the same storage conditions. Moreover, the HHP-treated sample showed better quality characteristics compared with the HTST-treated sample during 42-day storage except for total phenols and the storage time at 4 °C was more conducive to the preservation of the juices after HHP and HTST treatments. Industrial relevance Se-enriched kiwifruit juice is a promising Se-enriched beverage product which has high nutrition and economic value. The results obtained underline the different effects of HHP and HTST on quality and storage stability of Se retention, microorganisms, color, total phenols, chlorophyll and other quality-related aspects. This study may provide technical support for the application of HHP or HTST in the Se-enriched kiwifruit juice industry. Furthermore, a non-thermal technique which can improve functional juice properties to meet the demand of consumers for healthier products is provided in this study.

Nutrient, phytochemical, and antinutrient composition of Citrus maxima fruit juice and peel extract.

Nutrient, phytochemical, and antinutrient composition of Citrus maxima fruit juice and peel extract were determined. The fruit was procured from a garden in Trans‐Ekulu, Enugu East Local Government Area, Enugu State, Nigeria. Mature undamaged Citrus maxima fruits were thoroughly washed with distilled water to remove contamination, dirt, and air‐dried. The peel was separated from the pulp. The pulp (100 g) was blended and filtered through a muslin cloth to obtain a clear juice. The peel (50 g) was macerated with 200 ml of ethanol for 20 min. The peel extract was filtered through filter paper. The supernatant was concentrated by rotary evaporation. The peel extract was weighed and stored in a plastic container until needed. Proximate, mineral, vitamins, antinutrient, and phytochemical composition of the juice and peel extract were determined using standard procedures. Citrus maxima peel extract contains significantly (p < .05) higher crude fiber (2.58%), fat (9.74%), ash (2.49%), and carbohydrate (71.57%) compared with Citrus maxima juice. Alkaloid, phenolics, and flavonoids were also significantly (p < .05) higher in the peel extract. The mineral composition revealed the order Ca > Na > Ph > Fe > Mg > K in the juice and Ca > Ph > Na > Fe > K > Mg in the peel extract. Vitamin C content of the juice and peel extract were 26.36 mg/100 g and 19.34 mg/100 g, respectively. Citrus maxima peel is highly nutritive and rich in phytochemicals, further research is recommended to investigate its therapeutic effect.

Effect of Cold Atmospheric Plasma on Inactivation of Escherichia coli and Physicochemical Properties of Apple, Orange, Tomato Juices, and Sour Cherry Nectar

In this study, orange, tomato, apple juices, and sour cherry nectar were exposed to an atmospheric pressure plasma jet. Plasma treatments were carried out using air as a precursor under constant gas flow (3000 L/h) at 650 W for different treatment times (30, 60, 90, and 120 s). After plasma processing, reduction of Escherichia coli, Hunter’s color parameters (L*, a*, b*), total phenolic content, and pH values were evaluated. The inactivation effect of cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) was investigated on E. coli, and the highest significant reductions were achieved in apple juice (4.02 ± 0.03 log CFU/mL) followed by sour cherry (3.34 ± 0.09 log CFU/mL), while the values in orange (1.59 ± 0.17 log CFU/mL) and tomato juices (1.43 ± 0.22 log CFU/mL) were lower, which could be attributed to the food matrix. Color parameters, except for apple juice, did not show significant changes after processing. Compared to untreated juice, plasma treatment yielded higher phenolic content from 10 to 15%, while pH values did not change significantly and the temperature remained below 40 °C after all plasma treatments. This study showed that CAP treatment had positive influences on phenolic stability and color change in all samples regardless of food intrinsic factors, while it was more effective on bacterial inactivation in clear juices than turbid ones. Our results indicate that atmospheric plasma appears to be a promising technology for microbial inactivation without causing undesirable changes in food product.

Quality Parameters of Cane Juice and its Liquors During the Processing Stages of Raw Sugar under Prevailing Industrial Conditions.

The objective of the present work was to evaluate the changes in cane juice quality and its liquors during the main stages of raw sugar processing under prevailing industrial condition at Kom Ombo raw sugar factory, Aswan, Egypt during 2016/2017 working season. Results revealed that a noticeable inversion of sucrose content due to microbial action in mill train system in compared with mixed juice. Also the mud filtrate juice was characterized by low purity and glucose ratio, the clarification process had no effect on the quality with the exception of the reduction of fructose level may be due to alkalinity and high temperature. Results showed also glucose was the dominating reducing sugar through the extraction and clarification steps. The starch content of the factory clear juice was much lower than those of the crude juice. Although the pre-evaporation, evaporation and syrup sulphitation steps had no remarkable effects on the carbohydrate ratios of the sugar liquors. The apparent purity of strike A (mixed of sugar crystals and liquors which obtained from crystallization and cooking processes) was higher than the other of the syrup indicating the addition of rich liquors at crystallization step. The final molasses had 42.1 purity and 70.7 RS%S. although the glucose was still the dominant reducing sugar in molasses. Fructose was present in relatively a high amounts indicating the inversion of sucrose or conversions of other reducing sugars into fructose. On the other hand starch remained in the final molasses revealed to its separation in the centrifuges, yet appreciable amounts were present in raw sugar due to the selective absorption of starch during sugar crystallization.

Quality of Kiwifruit Juice Clarifed by Modifed Poly(Ether Ether Ketone) Hollow Fiber Membranes

Poly(ether ether ketone) with cardo group-based (PEEK-WC) membranes, in hollow fber (HF) confguration, were prepared via the dry-wet spinning technique through the phase inversion process and used to clarify kiwifruit juice. The depectinised juice was processed according to a batch concentration confguration in selected operating conditions (transmembrane pressure, 1.6 bar; feed flowrate 70 L/h; temperature, 25±2 °C) up to a volume reduction factor (VRF) of 1.8. The quality of clarifed juice was analysed in terms of total antioxidant activity (TAA), content of ascorbic, malic, succinic and citric acid, total polyphenols, suspended solids and total soluble solids (TSS). The prepared membranes allowed to remove suspended solids producing a clear juice with a content of organic acids, vitamin C and polyphenols comparable to that of the fresh juice. Accordingly, the TAA of the fresh juice was well preserved in the clarifed juice.

Direct clear juice: a summary of experiences gained in the production of clear juice in a sugarcane diffuser

The term ‘Direct Clear Juice’ (DCJ) refers to the production of clear juice (CJ) within a modified sugarcane diffuser, thus negating the need for further juice purification in a settling clarifier. The feasibility of producing CJ by filtering treated diffuser juice through a shredded cane bed was demonstrated on a laboratory scale at the Sugar Milling Research Institute NPC (SMRI) and reported at the 2013 ISSCT congress. Factory trials were subsequently conducted at Tongaat Hulett’s Maidstone factory where the promising laboratory results were replicated in a full-scale diffuser. The production of DCJ requires consideration of the juice flow path in the diffuser, the method of lime and flocculant addition, and the screening of the juice after the diffuser. This paper summarises the results and learnings from the DCJ trials between 2011 and 2015. The development of the DCJ technology has been a collaborative project between the SMRI and Tongaat Hulett Sugar.

Process improvement for mechanical extraction of low-viscosity clear banana juice

Low-viscosity clear banana juice is traditionally produced using a rudimentary mechanical process of kneading a mixture of ripe high-tannin banana and grass. The aim of this study was to come up with a new efficient and hygienic process that does not require use of grass. According to a new process, peeled ripe high-tannin Pisang Awak banana fingers were mashed in a blender, without addition of grass, until pulp agglomeration occurred. The mashed pulp was pressed to separate clear banana juice. The process successfully produced clear banana juice with low-viscosity (1.85 × 10-3 Pa.s), high content of dissolved solids (27 - 28°Brix), and average density of 1120 kg.m-3. Juice yield increased with mashing time up to 60% (w/w), and degree of ripeness until fruit colour was mostly yellow, but juice extraction failed for overripe banana. Condensed tannins decreased with ripening and juice extraction was possible as long as condensed tannin concentration was above 0.68% (w/w) of peeled banana. Therefore, low-viscosity clear banana juice can be produced in a more hygienic condition using the new process. Key words: Clear banana juice, Pisang Awak, mechanical banana juice extraction, condensed tannins.

Processing of Xoconostle fruit (Opuntia joconostle ) juice for improving its commercialization using membrane filtration

The aim of this study was to propose a membrane process for processing of a native Mexican fruit with limitations for its commercialization. The clarification of Xoconostle juice was performed using a hollow fiber membrane. The operating conditions were determined (T = 25 °C, Qf = 58 L/hr, TMP = 138 kPa); the process presented high productivities in terms of permeate flux (12.0–19.7 kg/m2/hr). The proposed method achieved high retention of turbidity (87.50%); whereas low retentions of pH (0.98%), total soluble solids (10.17%), carbohydrates (33.17%), polyphenols (2.10%), betalains (5.52%), and antioxidant activity (15.74%) were observed. Finally, a clear juice (3.79 ± 1.3 NTUs) was obtained with high antioxidant activity (21.40 ± 1.1 TEAC), high phenolic (27.50 ± 0.2 mg gallic acid/L) and betalain contents (18.80 ± 0.6 mg/L). An enhancement on color properties was observed (redness grade, h° = 10.14 ± 2.0). Practical applications Nowadays, the interest of food industry is focusing on the development of functional foods as well as looking for new valuable sources rich in bioactive compounds. Until now, many native Mexican fruits have not been processed in agro-food industry, that is, Xoconostle fruit is one of the natural products not strongly processed. The processing of its derivative products, as fresh juice, can offer benefits to exploit a bit more its well-known functional properties to human health. The enhancement of the quality of this natural juice preserving its nutritional and biological properties can be carried out using pressure-driven membrane processes. Based on (a) the high productivity of the applied methodology for juice processing, (b) the high removal of turbidity, (c) the enhancement of physical characteristics (colorimetric), and (d) the preservation of its natural chemical substances, the membrane filtration seems to be a good alternative to going further in the commercialization of the fruit.

Gastric fluid volume and acidity 2 h after intake of clear fluids in patients undergoing upper GI, lower GI, and non-GI surgery

Summary Background In recent years, liberal preoperative fasting has been widely practiced. However, the safety of applying liberal preoperative fasting to patients suffering from gastrointestinal diseases is unclear. We therefore compared the gastric volume and pH of patients who underwent upper and lower gastrointestinal surgery and non-gastrointestinal surgery. Methods Patients scheduled for surgery at 08:45 on a given day were forbidden solid foods from 21:00 hours the day before surgery and allowed to drink only clear fluids (e.g. water, green tea, sports drinks, and clear juices) freely until 07:00 hours on the day of the surgery. After induction of anesthesia, gastric juice was obtained by inserting a 14 French gastric tube into the stomach to ascertain gastric volume and pH. In the present study, the patients were divided into three groups according to type of surgery: non-gastrointestinal (Group N), upper gastrointestinal (Group U), and lower gastrointestinal (Group L) surgery. The gastric volume and pH of the three groups were then compared. Results Gastric fluid volume of the patients in Groups N, U, and L was 8 (0, 20) ml, 4 (0, 12) ml and 13 (0, 20) ml, respectively. Patients in Group L had significantly greater gastric volume compared with those in Groups N ( p = 0.0156) and U ( p = 0.0003). The gastric pH in Groups N, U, and L was 1.6 (1.3, 3.7), 3 (1.6, 5.65) and 1.9 (1.4, 5.6), respectively. Gastric pH was significantly higher in Group U than in Group N ( p = 0.0061). Conclusion Although gastric volume and pH differed among patients who underwent upper, lower, and non-gastrointestinal surgery after liberal preoperative fasting, the values remained within the safety parameters (UMI10802).

Influence of high power ultrasound on selected moulds, yeasts and Alicyclobacillus acidoterrestris in apple, cranberry and blueberry juice and nectar

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of non-thermal technology, high power ultrasound (HPU) on inactivation of Aspergillus ochraceus 318, Penicillium expansum 565, Rhodotorula sp. 74, Saccharomyces cerevisiae 5 and Alicyclobacillus acidoterrestris DSM 3922 in clear juices and nectars from apple, blueberry and cranberry juice concentrate. Inoculated juice and nectars were treated by high power ultrasound (20kHz) according to procedure set by central composite design (CCD). Three operational parameters, amplitude (60, 90 and 120μm), temperature (20, 40 and 60°C), and treatment time (3, 6 or 9min) were varied in order to observe the influence of ultrasound and combination of ultrasound and slight heating (thermosonication) on growth and inactivation of selected microorganisms. Number of vegetative cells of A. acidoterrestris DSM 3922 were not significantly reduced by high power ultrasound (p>0.05), except in apple juice, where statistical significant (p<0.05) influence of quadratic interaction of amplitude on bacteria reduction were observed. In all samples of fruit juices and nectars in terms of ultrasonic treatment at 60°C and times of 3, 6 and 9min, regardless of the value of the amplitude, complete inactivation of the growth of yeasts and moulds were achieved, while at 20 and 40°C it is not observed. The value of reduction of cells of selected yeasts and moulds for ultrasound treatments at 60°C and the duration of the 3, 6 and 9min ranged from 3.556 to 5.934 log units, depending on the initial number of selected yeasts and moulds before treatment.

Variation with the cultivar on the processing of apples as clear juice

The researches done at UASVM Cluj-Napoca in the frame of Horticultural product technology Department between 2014-2015 years followed the behavior of five apple cultivars at processing as clear juice. The apple juice characteristics (soluble solids content, organic acids content and clarification grade) were analyzed at processing of apples as clear juice and three months later, in order to determine how the initial characteristics of raw material were found again in the finished product. In order to provide the microbiological stability of juice, preservation was done with two chemical methods (sulfur dioxide – SO2 and sodium benzoate) and one physical method (pasteurization). The obtained results revealed ‘Florina’ cultivar, which had a processing efficiency as juice about 60%, high soluble solids content, 1% acidity, good clarification grade of juice, and pasteurization as microbiological stabilization method.

Classification of commercial apple juices based on multivariate analysis of their chemical profiles

ABSTRACTCurrently, a wide range of differently processed apple juices is available on the market. In this study the quality of commercial apple juices from four product categories was evaluated on the basis of their chemical profiles (total soluble solids, pH, titratable acidity, ratio of soluble solids to acidity, sugars, total phenolics content, and antioxidant activity) using multivariate methods. Principal component analysis has revealed, that the chemical parameters, such as titratable acidity, ratio of soluble solids to acidity, and pH (PC1) and sugars and total soluble solids (PC2) appears to be the parameters most differentiating the samples. Five classes of juices with similar chemical composition were detected using hierarchical cluster analysis. The exploratory analysis of the overall chemical profiles revealed that the juices clear from concentrate, cloudy not from concentrate and freshly squeezed, were easily distinguishable due to their unique properties. In contrast, cloudy juices from concentrate showed properties similar to juices of other classes. The classification based on k-nearest neighbors method had high sensitivity and low classification error for clear juices from concentrate and cloudy not from concentrate. The classification failed for the cloudy juices from concentrate.

The application of supercritical carbon dioxide for the stabilization of native and commercial polyphenol oxidases and peroxidases in cloudy apple juice (cv. Golden Delicious)

Abstract Supercritical carbon dioxide (SCCD) was applied for the native tissue and commercial enzyme inactivation in cloudy apple juice. The polyphenol oxidases (PPO) and peroxidases (POD) inactivation kinetics significantly depended on process parameters as well as the origin of enzymes. An increase in the temperature and pressure resulted in increasing of the k-value and decrease of D-value for both types of enzymes. POD turned out to be more thermal and pressure resistant compared to PPO. The lowest decimal reduction time (D-value), zT and zP-values were noted at 65 °C and 60 MPa for native PPO: 33.8 min, 90.3 °C and 112.6 MPa, respectively. The activation energy (Ea) generally decreased with increasing the pressure, whereas activation volume (Va) increased with increasing the temperature. Overall, SCCD treatment is a promising technique to obtain high quality apple juices with low enzyme activity. Industrial relevance Apple juice is one of the most frequently consumed juices in the world. It is commonly served as a clear juice, but there is a growing market for cloudy apple juices. Unfortunately, during cloudy juice processing and storage browning is initiated by enzymatic oxidation of polyphenols. Supercritical carbon dioxide (SCCD) is an interesting method among the innovative non-thermal technologies for the inactivation of native and commercial oxidoreductases in cloudy apple juice. In this study, the data proved that SCCD processing is a promising non-thermal technique for stabilization of fresh cloudy juices.

Perception of Apple Juice: A Comparison of Physicochemical Measurements, Descriptive Analysis and Consumer Responses

AbstractThe physicochemical (color, turbidity, total soluble solids, sucrose, d‐glucose and d‐fructose content, pH, acidity, total phenolic content and antioxidant activity) and sensory quality and consumer perception of differently processed clear and cloudy commercial apple juices were studied. Among eight studied juices, freshly squeezed juices were liked the most by consumers, whereas the cloudy juices not from concentrate and clear juices prepared from concentrate, were significantly less liked. Principal component analysis revealed groups of similar juices, in terms of their physicochemical properties and sensory characteristics assessed both by experts and consumers. The external preference mapping showed a nonhomogenous distribution of individual preferences in relation to juice attributes. Three groups of consumers differing in apple juice preferences were distinguished by means of the agglomerative hierarchical clustering. The sensory and physicochemical data were correlated with consumer acceptance by partial least square regression and cues of acceptance of apple juices were identified.Practical ApplicationsThis study has important practical implications for apple juice industry because it contributes to understanding of the relationship between intrinsic juices characteristics and consumer perception and may help processors determine the final quality of juice. The results obtained indicate that the use of the intensity scale in consumer study may constitute an alternative to sensory panel assessment. The study revealed the heterogeneity of the group of consumers. Application of multivariate analysis enabled the detection of homogeneous segments and the identification of the drivers of liking for the entire group of the consumers and for the separate segments.

Processing of clear and turbid grape juice by a continuous flow UV system

Abstract The inactivation of inoculated (S. cerevisiae) and spoilage microorganisms, i.e. yeasts and lactic acid bacteria (LAB), in clear and turbid grape juice was investigated using a pilot scale UV system. The biodosimetry method was used for UV dose prediction in a continuous flow UV reactor. Weibull model was applied for fitting the inactivation data. The flow rates (774, 820 ml/min) in this system were very close to the ones used in fruit juice processing. S. cerevisiae in clear juice was reduced by 3.39 ± 0.04 at 65.50 mJ/cm2 of UV dose. 1.54 ± 0.04 and 1.64 ± 0.03 log CFU/ml reductions were obtained for spoilage yeasts and LAB in turbid juice at UV dose of 78.56 and 67.97 mJ/cm2, respectively. The soluble solids (°Brix) and pH of grape juice samples were not affected by UV-C treatment (p > 0.05). Although the color parameters slightly were changed after irradiation, the color of PCGJ and FSTGJ did not show visual difference compared to the untreated samples. Industrial relevance UV light has a potential to reduce the levels of microbial contamination in liquid foods. Although grape juice has many beneficial health effects, it has a fairly short shelf life. Therefore, pasteurization is required. But the thermal pasteurization has some undesired effects on the juice quality. Consumer demands for high quality fruit juice with fresh-like characteristics have markedly expanded in recent years. In the current study, the microbial inactivation efficiency of a pilot scale UV system for non-thermal treatment of clear and turbid grape juice was evaluated under conservative conditions. Most of the physicochemical properties of grape juice samples were not significantly affected from UV-C treatment (p > 0.05). This would be a major advantage in the processing of nutritious juice products.

Optimization of Phosphate and Anionic Polyacrylamide Flocculant (APF) Level for Sugar Cane Juice Clarification Using Central Composite Design

This study was conducted to determine the optimum conditions of phosphate (P2O5) and the anionic polyacrylamide flocculant (APF) that could result in best cane juice clarification. Two sugar cane varieties (B52298 and NCO334) were used. The P2O5 for both varieties was at 158.6, 200, 300, 400 and 441.4 (mg/L) and APF were used at 0.59, 1, 2, 3 and 3.41 ppm and 0.17, 1, 3, 5 and 5.83 for B52298 and NCO334, respectively. For the B52298 variety, the optimum ranges of levels were 192.2–270 mg/L P2O5 and 2.91–3.41 ppm of APF. For NCO334 variety, the optimum ranges of levels were 229–264.5 mg/L P2O5 and 5.13–5.83 ppm of APF. Practical Applications A profitable and economical process calls for optimal combination process input. High clear juice turbidity, high product color and lower rate of crystallization were some of the problems that the sugar factory is facing. To minimize these problems, dosing of the optimum amount of phosphate and anionic polyacrylamide flocculant is essential and remains a question to be answered by research. The variability in the composition of the juice as a result of differing geographical location, cane variety and seasonal influence as well as the conditions to which the cane is subjected during harvesting and transportation makes the nature of the research to be area specific; hence, there is no universal dose of phosphate and flocculant so as to produce the best possible quality clear juice. Each factory is therefore essentially unique and adopts a system of clarification based on the simple defecation process with modifications usually determined by a combination of research and experience.

The effect of apple cider characteristics and membrane pore size on membrane fouling

Microfiltration (MF) of apple cider using four membrane pore sizes was investigated. MF with 0.2 and 0.45 μm pore sizes, and with 0.8 and 1.4 μm pore sizes, respectively, resulted in similar flux behavior and MF juice characteristics. Clear juice was obtained using all four pore sizes. MF did not cause any significant changes in pH and °Brix, regardless of pore size. Viscosity of the MF juice was lower than of the unfiltered apple cider for all membranes, but the viscosity decrease was the largest for the 0.2 and 0.45 μm membranes, due to the low transmission of pectin into the MF juice. Pectin transmission was 3–9% of the initial pectin content for the 0.2 μm membrane, 6–51% for the 0.45 μm. 45–100% for the 0.8 μm, and 60–100% for the 1.4 μm membrane. Apple cider haze particles that were smaller or of size comparable with the membrane pore size were deemed responsible for fouling, while particles much larger than the pores did not have a significant contribution to fouling. The fouling of 0.2 μm and 0.45 μm membranes was dominated by cake layer formation (external fouling), while fouling of the 0.8 μm and 1.4 μm membranes was dominated by pore constriction and pore blocking (internal fouling).

English

Rapid determination of sugarcane quality using low-cost and portable equipment is more practical for field use. Thus, this study explored the potential application of a portable visible and shortwave near infrared spectroradiometer (VNIRS) to predict pol and brix from sugarcane juice samples. A total of 100 sugarcane juice samples for each clear and raw juice samples were assessed. The spectral data were collected by scanning the juice samples in a cuvette with 10 mm path length using transmittance mode. Partial least squares (PLS) and principal component analysis (PCA) were applied to interpret the spectra and develop both calibration and prediction models. The prediction performances for the clear juice samples were good with coefficient of determination (R2) values of pol and brix were 0.85 and 0.84, respectively. For the raw juice samples, the prediction performances were acceptable with R2 values for pol and brix were 0.73 and 0.74, respectively. Based on these results, it was concluded that the VNIRS combined with PLS models could be applied to predict sugarcane quality from both clear and raw sugarcane juices.

Composition of clear and cloudy juices from French and Polish apples in relation to processing technology

Four technologies of clear and cloudy juice production according to typical Polish and French procedures were investigated with six apple cultivars. Clear juices were produced using technologies similar to those used by the processing industry, while cloudy juices were processed according to simple protocols used in small-scale processing. In order to best evaluate the effects of the processing technology and cultivar on juice quality, the production of juices was carried out both in Poland and France on the same raw material. The technology, unlike the cultivar, did not affect the soluble solids content of the juice, or the levels of most of the sugars, malic acid or potassium. However, the antioxidant activity measured by the ABTS+ method and the levels of monomeric phenolics and procyanidins strongly depended on the apple cultivar and production technology. For cloudy juices, the selection of appropriate cultivars and production without centrifugation are the key to substantially increasing the amounts of healthy compounds in apple juice.

Hepatoprotective effect of Schisandra chinensis (Turcz.) Baill. lignans and its formula with Rubus idaeus on chronic alcohol-induced liver injury in mice.

This study aimed to investigate the liver protection effect of Schisandra chinensis (Turcz.) Baill. (SC) lignans and its combination with Rubus idaeus (RI) on chronic alcohol-induced mice. A low level of SC lignans (SL) was prepared from the clear juice of sarcocarp. Lignans were further extracted from the SC seeds and added to the SL to form high-level SC lignans (SH). Moreover, RI clear juice lyophilized powder was mixed with SL (SR), and the liver protection effects of SL, SH and SR were investigated. Male ICR mice were administered with the corresponding samples and gastrically infused with 50% alcohol (1 h later) once per day for 60 d. In the in vitro study, the characteristic lignans in the SC clear juice and the seed extract were analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The total phenolic content (TPC) and antioxidant capability of SL, SH, and SR were determined. The results of the in vivo study showed that SC lignans exhibited a dose-dependent effect on the regulation of hepatic antioxidant status, serum transaminases levels, hyperlipidemia and hepatic fat deposition in mice. However, hepatic lesions were observed in the SH mice, which indicated a potential side effect caused by long-term consumption of SH under chronic alcohol administration. By contrast, SR exhibited a similar hepatoprotective effect as SH without any abnormality found in the histological analysis. After analysis with HPLC, Schizandrol A and Schizandrol B were identified in the SC clear juice, and two more kinds of lignans, Schisandrin A and Schisandrin B, were identified in the seed extracts. The SR sample had the highest TPC and exhibited the best antioxidant capability. In conclusion, RI strengthened the liver protection effect of SC lignans effectively and safely, which was probably achieved by enhancing the antioxidant status and the positive effect of their combination was possibly attributed to both lignans and polyphenols. This study demonstrated that the combination of low-level SC lignans and RI might be used as a potential safe formula for beverage development to alleviate the adverse effects of long-term alcohol consumption.