February 26, 2025 | Foods |
The influence of various processing methods on the quality of red dragon fruit juice (RDFJ) was examined in a study conducted by Hainan University, China. The researchers compared traditional thermal processing, such as pasteurization, with novel non-thermal techniques, specifically ultrasonication and cold plasma treatment.
To evaluate the effects, the study analyzed changes in physicochemical properties, antioxidant activity, metabolite composition, and aroma profiles. Among the tested methods, cold plasma (CP) treatment showed the most favorable results. It improved cloud stability by 16.64% and increased total polyphenol content by 13.76%, leading to enhanced antioxidant capacity. CP also elevated L-tyrosine levels and influenced amino acid metabolic pathways, which contributed to higher phenolic content and antioxidant effects.
In terms of flavor, cold plasma preserved desirable aroma compounds while reducing harmful volatile substances such as furans. These results indicate that cold plasma treatment can effectively improve and maintain both the nutritional and sensory quality of RDFJ.
Overall, the findings highlight cold plasma as a promising non-thermal processing method that offers advantages in quality preservation and functional enhancement, making it suitable for application in red dragon fruit juice production.
