No abstract

No abstract

The impact of gum arabic (GA) (10 and 15% w/v) on the quality and postharvest-shelf life of strawberry at storage condition of 4 6 18C for 10 days were evaluated. Significant (p < .05) differences were found for the overall 15% GA-coating as compared with the control. The application of GA-coatings maintained the total contents of phenolic, anthocyanin and total soluble solid (TSS) but significantly (p < .05) retarded the increase in polyphenol oxidase (PPO) activity, reduced weight loss, and completely inhibited fungal infections. Moreover, the 15% GA edible coating retained the color, improved the firmness, and increased antioxidant activity compared with control. Likewise, sensory analysis results also showed the effectiveness of 15% GA-coating by retaining the quality of strawberry fruits. The results show that 15% of GA-coating can be an effective strategy for enhancing the quality of strawberry fruits during cold storage without any negative effect. Practical applicationsThe edible coating has demonstrated to be a promising food preservation method and is progressively used for the commercial processing of many fruits and vegetables. However, gum arabic has not been used for preserving the quality of highly perishable fruit such as strawberries. The result suggests that gum arabic coatings can be a valuable biochemical means of preserving strawberries during refrigerated storage and could be used as an alternative to the synthetic formulas of fruit and vegetable packaging. Thus, gum arabic coating could provide horticultural and food processors a useful way to improve the quality, prolong shelf life, and marketing strategy. K E Y W O R D S cold-stored, edible coating, gum arabic, postharvest-shelf life, strawberry

The behavior of crude Sclerocarya birrea kernel oil (SCO) and Sorghum bug (Agonoscelis pubescens) oil (SBO) during deep-frying of par-fried potatoes was studied with regard to chemical, physical, and sensory parameters, such as content of FFA, tocopherols, polar compounds, oligomer TG, volatile compounds, oxidative stability, and total oxidation (TOTOX) value. Palm olein was used for comparison. Whereas potatoes fried in SCO that had been used for 24 h of deep-frying at 175°C were still suitable for human consumption, potatoes prepared in SBO that had been used for 6 to 12 h were not, considering the sensory evaluation. In looking at the chemical and physical parameters, SBO exceeded the limits, after no later than 18 h of use, for the amount of polar compounds, oligomer TG, and FFA recommended by the German Society of Fat Sciences (DGF) as criteria for the rejection of used frying oils. In contrast to SBO, SCO oil did not exceed the limits for the content of polar compounds and oligomer TG during the frying experiment. Only the amount of FFA was exceeded; this was because the amount of FFA at the beginning of the experiment was higher than for refined oils. The results showed that both oils were suitable for deep-frying of potatoes, but remarkable differences in the time during which both oils produced palatable products were found. SCHEME 1 FIG. 1. Development of the content of polar compounds in Sclerocarya birrea oil (I), Sorghum bug oil (N), and palm olein (L) during frying of prefried potatoes at 175°C.a Determinations were carried out in triplicate, and the mean value ± SD is reported. Means within a column followed by different superscripts are significantly different (P < 0.05).