Application of Procyanidins from Aronia melanocarpa (Michx.) Elliott in Fresh-Cut Apple Preservation

Abstract

The aim of this study was to find a purely natural and effective preservative that could be used in fresh-cut apples extracting proanthocyanidin (PC) components from black chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa (Michx.) Elliott) using DESs (deep eutectic solvents). DM130 microporous resins were used in purification experiments to obtain proanthocyanidin purifiers with a higher content. To investigate the free radical scavenging ability (DPPH, ·OH, O2−, ABTS) of the resulting proanthocyanidin purifiers, experiments were conducted due to their potent antioxidant properties. The results show that the polyphenol extract from black chokeberry demonstrated an excellent antioxidant capacity, with more than 95% scavenging of DPPH, ABTS and superoxide anion at concentrations above 0.1 mg/mL. Furthermore, the antibacterial efficacy of the product was also evaluated. The results of this study on the inhibitory ability of bacteria demonstrated that PC exhibited superior inhibitory efficacy against E. coli and S. aureus, with inhibitory circles of 16 ± 0.11 mm and 18 ± 0.09 mm, respectively. Conversely, PC demonstrated no inhibitory efficacy against A. niger and Penicillium sp. Finally, the effect of PC in preserving fresh-cut apples was tested in terms of weight loss, hardness, appearance and total number of microorganisms. The results demonstrated a 26.44% reduction in weight loss and a 13.5% increase in hardness, as well as a 98% reduction in total bacterial counts in apple pieces treated with 5 mg/mL of PC in comparison to those left untreated.