Effect of pulsed electric fields processing on physiochemical properties and bioactive compounds of apricot juice

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of pulsed electric fields (PEF) on bioactive compounds and physiochemical properties present in apricot juice. In which 0, 7, and 14 kV/cm of PEF intensity were applied to treat the juices with a flow rate of 40 ml/min, frequency of 1 kHz at 25 +/- 2 degrees C for 500 mu s. Thereafter the phenolics, flavonoids, antioxidant volatile compounds, and physiochemical properties of juice were analyzed. Furthermore, the change in functional groups of biological compounds was investigated by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. Results indicated no significant change in pH, degrees Brix, and color in PEF treated sample even at increased PEF intensities as compared to untreated. A significant increase in cloud value, phenolic compounds, flavonoids, and antioxidant activity of the PEF treated sample was observed. A decrease in the browning index was observed as compared to unprocessed samples. The little variation in biological compounds was observed in PEF treated sample. Practical Applications Nowadays, researchers are paying more attention to non-thermal techniques for the processing of food products, which could enhance the nutritional profile and shelf life stability of food products. PEF retains the heat-sensitive bioactive constituents, extends the shelf life in order to achieve the fresh like quality of liquid products. This research proved that PEF treatment significantly increased the cloud value, phenolic compounds, flavonoids, antioxidant activity, and helps to retain the bioactive compounds present in apricot juice. Furthermore, this present research would also provide valuable data that can be helpful for food industries to design and select PEF technology to process the liquid-based food product like fruit juice.