Microwave heating effect on total phenolics and antioxidant activity of green and mature coconut water

Abstract

Coconut water (Cocos nucifera L.) from fruits of two ripening stages (green and mature) was used to perform microwave heat treatments. Three different heating conditions with maximum temperatures of 70, 80 and 90 °C were tested in three holding times (0, 2 and 4 min). The Total Phenolic Content (TPC) using the Folin-Ciocalteu method and ABTS radical scavenging capacity were evaluated for each combination of coconut fruit age, heating temperature and holding time. It was observed that green coconut water exhibited significant differences (p < 0.05) compared to mature coconuts in terms of TPC (46.03 and 69.16 mg GAE/L, respectively) and ABTS radical scavenging capacity (422.31 and 549.1 μmol TE/L, respectively). An increase in TPC (up to 23%) and antioxidant activity (up to 19%) was also observed with increasing temperature in the range of 70-90 °C. Green coconut water showed the largest increase in both TPC and antioxidant activity.