The present study compared physicochemical parameters, total phenolic and total flavonoid contents, individual phenolics, and antioxidant activity of litchi juice processed by high pressure carbon dioxide (HPCD), high temperature and ultra high temperature treatments. The results showed that HPCD can retain color of litchi juice better than thermal processing ( p < 0.05), while three processing methods had no influence on pH and total soluble solid in litchi juice. Compared to thermal processing, HPCD processed litchi juice had more total phenolics, total flavonoid and individual phenolics including rutin, (-)-epicatechin and chlorogenic acid ( p < 0.05). Furthermore, the antioxidant activity of litchi juice was analyzed by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) and 2,2'-azinobis-(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulphonate) (ABTS) assays. The result indicated that HPCD processing can preserve the antioxidant activity better than thermal processing ( p < 0.05). This study suggested that HPCD could be used as an alternative of traditional thermal processing to produce more fresh fruit juice.Keywords: litchi juice, high pressure carbon dioxide, phenolics, antioxidant activity, thermal treatment
IntroductionNumerous studies have demonstrated that increased consumption of fruit and vegetable is positively associated with reduced risk of developing chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer and Alzheimers's disease (Liu, 2003;Pappas and Schaich, 2009). These health benefits have been attributed in part to the unique phytochemicals of fruit and vegetable (Eberhardt et al., 2000;Liu, 2007).Litchi (Litchi chinensis Sonn.) is a subtropical to tropical fruit of high commercial value in international trade. It becomes one of popular fruit due to its delicious taste and healthy benefits. Phenolic compounds are known as the main active components in litchi fruit, having various bioactive activities, including antioxidant, anticancer, and immunomodulatory activities (Yang et al., 2012;Zhao et al., 2007). Phenolic compounds are also closely related with sensory quality. Until now, most of published literature on the phenolic content and antioxidant activity of litchi fruit focused on its pericarp and seeds (Jiang et al., 2013; Li et al., 2012b; Nagendra *To whom correspondence should be addressed.E-mail: mwzhh@vip.tom.com L. Liu et al. 42 Prasad et al., 2009). Our recent study reported phenolic profiles and antioxidant activity of litchi pulp from different cultivars (Zhang et al., 2013). However, little information is available about the phenolic profiles and antioxidant activity of litchi juice.Litchi is a seasonal fruit and susceptible to spoilage. Therefore, further processing is desirable to extend shelf-life and meet the market demands. Litchi is usually processed into dried fruit or juice. Traditionally, high temperature (HT) short time process is applied in fruit juice processing to prevent microbial growth and to inactivate endogenous enzymes that can cause un...