Copigmentation with Sinapic Acid Improves the Stability of Anthocyanins in High-Pressure-Processed Strawberry Purees

Abstract EN

This study investigated the impact of copigmentation with sinapic acid on the stability of anthocyanins in strawberry purees of three commercial cultivars (Camarosa, Rubygem, and Festival) after high-pressure processing (HPP; 600 MPa/5 min) and thermal processing (TP; 88°C/2 min) and during three months of refrigerated storage.

Copigmentation did not have a significant effect on the stability of anthocyanins during processing with 14% to 30% degradation observed with no significant difference among cultivars or the processing technique.

On the contrary, copigmentation significantly (p<0.05) improved the stability of anthocyanins in HPP samples during storage, most probably via the formation of intramolecular complexes which improve the resistance of anthocyanins to degradation.

The anthocyanin contents of the copigmented HPP Camarosa, Rubygem, and Festival samples were, respectively, 42%, 40%, and 33% higher than their noncopigmented counterparts at the end of the three-month storage.

Copigmentation also improved the retention of the total antioxidant capacity of the HPP-processed strawberry samples.

The TPC of the copigmented HPP Camarosa, Rubygem, and Festival samples was, respectively, 66%, 65%, and 85% higher than that of the non-copigmented samples after three months of storage, whereas the respective ORAC values were 36.5%, 59.3%, and 35.3% higher.

In contrast, copigmentation did not improve the stability of anthocyanins in TP samples, although significant (p<0.05) improvement in antioxidant capacity was also observed in TP samples due to the antioxidant nature of the copigment.