Abstract

The inhibition of enzymatic browning and oxidation is still an important challenge in food processing. This study was designed to examine in vitro the inhibition of enzymatic browning in apple and the antioxidant activity using 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and ferrous ion chelating activity by Mentha suaveolensphenol, methanol and aqueous extracts. The use of various extracts in the prevention of the enzymatic browning, catalysed by polyphenol oxidases (PPO) and peroxidases (POD) showed that the phenol extract had a high effect on PPO more than synthetic inhibitor (potassium sorbate), whereas all extracts of M. suaveolens presented only a minor effect on POD of apple. The radical scavenging activity of various extracts of M.suaveolens using DPPH showed that the phenol extract had same activity as butyl hydroxyl toluene (BHT) which is a known inhibitor for its antioxidant activity. The highest ferrous ion chelating activity was found in phenol and methanol extracts. The chemical analysis of the phenol extract using the high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) suggests that the rosmarinic acid could explain the observed inhibition. In conclusion, these data suggest that the M. suaveolens compounds can act as preservatives of food against oxidation and enzymatic browning.

Key words: Mentha suaveolens, phenolic compounds, enzymatic browning, antioxidant activity.

Abbreviation

DPPH, 1,1-Diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical; PPO, polyphenol oxidase; POD, peroxidase; BHT, butyl hydroxyl toluene; HPLC, high-performance liquid chromatography; PVPP, polyvinylpolypyrrolidone; GAE, gallic acid equivalents