Effects of ascorbic acid retention on juice color and pigment stability in blood orange (Citrus sinensis) juice during refrigerated storage

Blood orange juice samples with two different levels of ascorbic acid content were placed in HDPE plastic bottles, pasteurized, and stored at 4.5 degreesC. The influence of ascorbic acid retention on color stability of blood orange juice was investigated using CIE L*a*b*, hue, chroma, polymeric color, and browning index during the storage period. Changes in monomeric anthocyanin pigments, total carotenoid contents, cyanidin-3-glucoside, and ascorbic acid were also measured. Ascorbic acid degradation was highly correlated (r>0.93) to anthocyanin pigment degradation. Ascorbic acid content also showed linear correlation with red color intensity (CIE a*, and chroma) in the juice. Polymeric color and browning index increased with storage time and were more pronounced for juice fortified with ascorbic acid. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.