Enzymatic polyphenoloxidase inactivation with temperature and ozone in sugarcane variety RB 92579 to produce lower color sugar

Abstract

Some sugarcane varieties have high activity of polyphenoloxidase enzyme, impairing the production of lower color sugar. Polyphenoloxidase (PPO) is an enzyme from the oxidoreductases group and it is present in a greater or lesser amount depending on the sugarcane variety, climatic conditions, age, culture treatment, harvest and processing conditions. The presence of this enzyme has great impact in the food industry, as it is the main enzyme involved in the undesirable darkening of fruits and vegetables during processing and storage. It is of great importance for the food industry to study inactivation methods for this enzyme. The aim of this work was to evaluate the effect of ozone gas associated (replacement of the conventional sulphitation process), whose concentrations were 150, 300 and 450 mg/L, at the inactivation temperature of polyphenoloxidase enzyme of sugarcane variety RB 92579 for the production of lower color sugar. Treatment with ozone concentration of 150 mg·L-1 at 105 °C showed direct correlation between juice color reduction and enzyme inactivation, resulting in the production of lower color sugar.