Changes of amygdalin and volatile components of apricot kernels during the ultrasonically-accelerated debitterizing

• Published in: Ultrasonics sonochemistry 2019-11, Vol.58, p.104614, Article 104614
• Main Authors: Zhang, Ning, Zhang, Qing-An, Yao, Jian-Li, Zhang, Xin-Yun
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Amygdalin; Amygdalin - analysis; Amygdalin - chemistry; Amygdalin - metabolism; Apricot kernels; beta-Glucosidase - metabolism; Debitterizing; Epimerization; Food Handling; Food Industry; Prunus armeniaca - chemistry; Stereoisomerism; Taste; Ultrasonic Waves; Volatile components; Volatile Organic Compounds - analysis; Water - chemistry
• ISSN: 1350-4177; 1873-2828
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ultsonch.2019.104614

•Ultrasonically-debitterizing did not cause the epimerization of d-amygdalin.•Ultrasound rapidly debitterized the apricot kernels by degrading the amygdalin.•Ultrasound can make the debitterizing water more safe and flavors.•Ultrasound can be used to accelerate the removal of bitterness from apricot kernels. Ultrasound has been regarded as an efficient novel technique for debitterizing of the apricot kernels, but its influence is severely concerned on the possible epimerization of d-amygdalin to the l-amygdalin, a more potentially toxigenic compound. Considering this, the experiments were conducted to investigate the epimerization of d-amygdalin and the volatile components in the debitterizing water, which were separated and identified by the high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and gas chromatography with a mass spectrometer (GC-MS), respectively. The results indicate that the ultrasonically-debitterizing did not cause the epimerization of d-amygdalin to the l-amygdalin, while the procedure can be greatly accelerated due to the rapid mass transfer and degradation of d-amygdalin induced by ultrasound irradiation. In addition, the water from the ultrasonically-debitterizing of apricot kernels exerted more aromas compared with that of the conventional debitterizing, which might have more applications about this kind of water. In a word, ultrasound can be safely applied in the debitterizing industry of apricot kernels.