Effect of storage temperature on phenolics stability in hawthorn ( Crataegus pinnatifida var. major) fruits and a hawthorn drink

• Published in: Food chemistry 2006, Vol.98 (3), p.426-430
• Main Authors: Chang, Qi, Zuo, Zhong, Chow, Moses S.S., Ho, Walter K.K.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: (−)-Epicatechin; beverages; Biological and medical sciences; chemical composition; Chlorogenic acid; Crataegus pinnatifida; epicatechin; Food industries; Fruit and vegetable industries; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Hawthorn; herbal medicines; Hyperoside; Isoquercitrin; phenolic compounds; Procyanidin B 2; procyanidins; quantitative analysis; Stability; storage temperature; thermal stability; tree fruits
• ISSN: 0308-8146; 1873-7072
• DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2005.06.015

The stability of five major phenolics, namely (−)-epicatechin (EC), procyanidin B 2 (PC-B 2), chlorogenic acid (ChA), hyperoside (HP) and isoquercitrin (IQ), in hawthorn fruits and a canned hawthorn drink were evaluated during 6 months of storage in the dark at three different temperatures (4, 23 and 40 °C). HPLC with a diode-array detector was used to determine the contents of the individual compounds. The results showed that the studied phenolics in the hawthorn fruits and the drink were both stable at 4 °C and relatively unstable at 23 and 40 °C with varied extents of degradation. At room temperature (23 °C), marked degradations of EC and PC-B 2 were observed in both the fruits and the drink with around 50% and 30% decrease after a 6-month storage, respectively. A more significant decrease of the phenolics was observed at 40 °C, especially for EC and PC-B 2, which were almost completely degraded after a 6-month storage. HP, IQ and ChA were relatively stable at 23 °C, but unstable at 40 °C. Therefore, low-temperature storage is recommended for maintaining the quality and efficacy of hawthorn fruits and its preparations.