Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Properties of Semi-Processed Frozen Prickly Pear Juice as Affected by Cultivar and Harvest Time

Consumer interest toward natural ingredients is creating a growing trend in the food industry and research for the development of natural products such as colorants, antimicrobials and antioxidants. Semi-processed frozen prickly pear ( (L.) Mill.) juices (PPJs), obtained from three cultivars with wh...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Foods 2020-02, Vol.9 (2), p.235
Main Authors: Palmeri, Rosa, Parafati, Lucia, Arena, Elena, Grassenio, Emanuela, Restuccia, Cristina, Fallico, Biagio
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Acids
Aluminum
Antibacterial activity
Antimicrobial agents
antioxidant activity
Antioxidants
betalains
Carotenoids
Cultivars
differently colored cultivars
Flavonoids
Flowering
Food contamination
Food industry
food ingredient
Food processing industry
Food science
Foodborne pathogens
Fruits
Functional foods & nutraceuticals
Market value
Natural products
Organic chemistry
Phenols
Pigments
Polyphenols
Preservatives
Pulp
Salmonella
Vitamin C
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Summary:Consumer interest toward natural ingredients is creating a growing trend in the food industry and research for the development of natural products such as colorants, antimicrobials and antioxidants. Semi-processed frozen prickly pear ( (L.) Mill.) juices (PPJs), obtained from three cultivars with white, red and yellow pulp, with different harvest times ("Agostani" and "Bastardoni"), were characterized for betalains, total phenolics, flavonoids, carotenoids, antioxidant capacity (by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl-hydrate (DPPH)) and antimicrobial potential against foodborne pathogenic bacteria. Through chemical assays, PPJs showed high contents of total polyphenols, flavonoids and betalains and marked antioxidant capacity. PPJs from the first harvest ("Agostani") revealed the significantly highest amount of polyphenols in white cultivar and of betacyanin and betaxanthin in yellow and red cultivars; antioxidant capacity was significantly higher in "Agostani" PPJs than in "Bastardoni" ones. Regarding antimicrobial potential, all PPJs revealed good antibacterial activity, particularly against as evidenced by the widest inhibition haloes. These results encourage the suitability of the first flowering prickly pear fruits, with low market value as fresh fruit but with high nutritional features, to be processed as semi-finished product. In particular, its use as ingredient in foods with high risk of contamination may act as a natural preservative.
ISSN:2304-8158
2304-8158
DOI:10.3390/foods9020235