Effects of pickling steps on antioxidant activity of guava

Abstract

Pickling has been used for centuries to increase the shelf life of foods. Pickling of fruit involves several steps including washing and salting. This processing may affect the retention of antioxidant compounds. The consumption of antioxidant-rich fruits has been associated with reduce the risk of oxidative stress-related diseases. However, there is limited information available on the antioxidant activity of fruits during the pickling steps. Therefore, the study is conducted to determine the ascorbic acid content (AA), total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), and antioxidant properties using ferric reducing power (FRAP) and 1, 1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging activity (DPPH) assays during the pickling process (salting, washing, and pickling) of guava. The results showed that guava pickle showed a higher amount of TPC and TFC, but lower AA (p<0.05) in comparison to the fresh guava. There were no differences in the antioxidant activities of pickled and fresh guava. Similarly, salting and washing did not significantly change the AA, TPC, TFC, and antioxidant properties of the samples (p>0.05). Findings from the present study revealed that guava pickle could be a good source of antioxidant polyphenols. Further study is needed to identify the phenolic compounds responsible for antioxidant activity.