Impact of Phytosanitary Irradiation on Polar Antioxidants in Peels of ‘Granny Smith’ Apples
The ‘Granny Smith’ apple (Malus domestica Borkh), known for its bright green peel and tart flavor, is a significant cultivar in the United States. Due to increasing limitations and restrictions on chemical fumigants and other treatments, ionizing radiation is gaining popularity as a phytosanitary treatment to prevent the spread of pests while preserving food quality. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of gamma, e-beam, and X-ray irradiation on phenolic compounds, vitamin C content, and total antioxidant capacity in ‘Granny Smith’ apple peels. The results indicated that there were no significant changes in vitamin C content immediately following irradiation. However, after four months of storage, gamma-treated peels showed a decrease in ascorbic acid and an increase in dehydroascorbic acid, while e-beam and X-ray treatments did not show significant changes. Phenolic content initially decreased for all treatments and increased after storage, with gamma irradiation showing the most significant increase even though the dose delivered for gamma was less than e-beam and X-ray treatments. The antioxidant capacity, measured by the ABTS and DPPH assay, revealed that the antioxidant capacity in irradiated samples decreased after storage. These findings suggest that the low dose rate associated with gamma irradiation might enhance specific antioxidant properties while impacting vitamin C oxidation more profoundly than e-beam and X-ray treatments.
Antioxidant capacity, ascorbic acid, dehydroascorbic acid, e-beam, gamma, irradiation, phenolic compounds, vitamin C, X-ray., Food Science
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