JOURNAL OF FOOD MEASUREMENT AND CHARACTERIZATION, cilt.15, sa.4, ss.3708-3719, 2021 (SCI-Expanded)
The effect of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) on the removal of sulfur dioxide (SO2) from sulfurized dried apricots was studied. Apricot fruits were sulfurized in a way that contains low, medium, and high doses of sulfur. Dried apricots were immersed in 0.5%, 1%, and 2% H2O2 solutions at 20 degrees C, 30 degrees C, and 40 degrees C for 5 min. After removal of SO2 by H2O2, the analyses of moisture, SO2 content, total phenolic content (TPC), individual phenolics, and antioxidant capacity were carried out in dried apricots. As part of the validation study for phenolic compounds, the limit of detection (LOD), the limit of quantification (LOQ), and recovery rate were also determined. H2O2 treatment was effective in desulfurizing, by decreasing up 61% rate the SO2 content in dried apricots. However, H2O2 treatment caused a considerable decrease in the fruit's TPC and antioxidant capacity. Gallic acid, chlorogenic acid, p-coumaric acid, rutin, and myricetin were found to be predominant phenolic compounds in thae dried apricot samples. The amounts of these phenolic compounds (especially in the low dose sulfur-containing samples) with the increase of temperature and H2O2 concentration decreased statistically significant levels (p < 0.05). Therefore, the development and use of methods to preserve the nutritional content of the fruit are important.