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Effect of gamma irradiation and microwave heating treatments on microbial load and antioxidant potentials in cinnamon, fennel and hot pepper

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Abstract

This study was carried out to investigate the effect of gamma irradiation (5 and 10 kGy) and microwave treatments (500 W for 45 and 90 s) on the microbial load (bacterial and fungal counts), total phenolics (TPC), total flavonoids (TFC) and antioxidant activity of cinnamon, fennel and hot pepper. Both treatments reduced the total counts of bacteria and fungi in the three spices (P < 0.05). Gamma irradiation at the applied doses reduced TPC in hot pepper, TFC and antioxidant activity in all spices, while it increased TPC in cinnamon and fennel at 10 kGy (P < 0.05). Microwave treatment also reduced the TPC in hot pepper, TFC in cinnamon and fennel, and antioxidant activity in all spices, whereas it increased TPC in cinnamon (P < 0.05). Thus, compositional differences should be considered when treating spices with gamma rays and microwave to avoid losses in antioxidant power of these important phytochemicals.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Environment and Natural Resources and Desertification Research Institute (ENDRI), National Center for Research, P.O. Box 6096, Khartoum, Sudan

    Amro B. Hassan & Khitma A. Sir Elkhatim

  2. Sudanese Atomic Energy Commission (SAEC), Khartoum, Sudan

    Salma M. Ahmed

  3. White Nile Research Station, Agricultural Research Corporation, ARC, P.O. Box 300, Wad Madani, Sudan

    Tilal S. Abdelhalim

  4. Nigerian Institute for Oceanography and Marine Research, Lagos, Nigeria

    Samson O. Fawale

  5. Department of Food Science and Nutrition, Faculty of Food and Agricultural Sciences, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2460, Riyadh, 11451, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

    Oladipupo Q. Adiamo & Isam A. Mohamed Ahmed

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  1. Amro B. Hassan
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Hassan, A.B., Ahmed, S.M., Sir Elkhatim, K.A. et al. Effect of gamma irradiation and microwave heating treatments on microbial load and antioxidant potentials in cinnamon, fennel and hot pepper. Food Measure 13, 1130–1138 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11694-018-00028-w

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