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Impact of Thermal Blanching and Thermosonication Treatments on Watercress (Nasturtium officinale) Quality: Thermosonication Process Optimisation and Microstructure Evaluation

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Abstract

The objectives of the present work were to optimise watercress heat and thermosonication blanching conditions, in order to obtain a product with better quality for further freezing, and to evaluate the effects of thermosonication on the microstructure of watercress leaves. In a chart of optimal time–temperature conditions for a 90% peroxidase inactivation (imposed constraint), vitamin C (objective function) and a-value (improvement toward green) were mathematically predicted for both heat and thermosonication blanching treatments. Two optimal thermosonication combinations were selected: 92 °C and 2 s, retaining 95% of vitamin C content and 5% a-value improvement, and a better condition in terms of practical feasibility, 86 °C and 30 s, allowing a 75% vitamin C retention and 8% a-value improvement. The experimental values, for each thermosonication optimal time–temperature zone, were in good agreement with the models' predicted responses. In terms of microstructure, thermosonicated watercress at 86 and 92 °C showed similar loss of turgor and release of chloroplasts. The proposed optimal thermosonication blanching conditions allow the improvement of the blanched watercress quality and consequently contribute for the development of a high-quality new frozen product. However, a suitable scale-up is mandatory for industrial implementation.

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Abbreviations

a :

Colour co-ordinate, represents red to green in the Hunter Lab colour space

C :

Value or concentration of the dependent variable (peroxidase activity, colour or vitamin C)

E a :

Activation energy (kJ mol−1)

k :

Reaction rate constant (min−1)

fw:

Fresh weight

e:

Value at equilibrium

0:

Initial value at time equal to zero

1:

Relative to heat-labile enzyme fraction

2:

Relative to heat-resistant enzyme fraction

84.6 °C:

At the reference temperature of 84.6 °C

87.5 °C:

At the reference temperature of 87.5 °C

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Acknowledgments

The author Rui M. S. Cruz gratefully acknowledges his Ph.D. grant SFRH/BD/9172/2002 to Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) from Ministério da Ciência e do Ensino Superior. The authors thank the Vitacress Company for supplying the raw watercress.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. CBQF/Escola Superior de Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica Portuguesa, Rua Dr. António Bernardino de Almeida, Porto, 4200-072, Portugal

    Rui M. S. Cruz, Susana C. Fonseca & Cristina L. M. Silva

  2. Instituto Superior de Engenharia, Universidade do Algarve, Campus da Penha, Faro, 8005-139, Portugal

    Margarida C. Vieira

Authors
  1. Rui M. S. Cruz
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  2. Margarida C. Vieira
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  3. Susana C. Fonseca
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  4. Cristina L. M. Silva
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Correspondence to Cristina L. M. Silva.

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Cruz, R.M.S., Vieira, M.C., Fonseca, S.C. et al. Impact of Thermal Blanching and Thermosonication Treatments on Watercress (Nasturtium officinale) Quality: Thermosonication Process Optimisation and Microstructure Evaluation. Food Bioprocess Technol 4, 1197–1204 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11947-009-0220-0

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