Fruits generally serve as rich sources of vitamins, mainly vitamins A and C, and excellent sources of fiber. They also contain some calories and are naturally low in fat. An increased consumption of fruits has been related to protection against various diseases, including cancers as well as cerebrovascular and cardiovascular diseases. This is often attributed to the bioactive compounds present in fruits, such as vitamins C and E, carotenoids, phenolic acids, and flavonoids, which provide antioxidant activities by removing free radicals.
Fruits of quince (Cydonia oblonga Miller) serve as an essential abode for compounds with health-promoting properties. They are also a good source of polyphenols which are a natural antioxidant, reported to promote several health benefits. Quince polyphenols include flavonoids and hydroxycinnamic acids. Among these compounds, special focus has been placed on flavonoids which are responsible for the color of fruits, and proanthocyanidins due to their affinity to remove free radicals or antioxidant activity.
Recent times have seen consumers becoming more aware of the contribution of diet to their health and, therefore, are willing to buy foods high in bioactive compounds with high quality. Although quince fruit is not edible raw because of its hardness, bitterness, and astringency, it is normally processed into juices such as jams, marmalades and jellies, as well as quince puddings(Wojdyło, Teleszko and Oszmiański, 2013). Pectins are used in the food industry due to their gelling properties. Quince fruit is a rich source of pectin substances allowing it to be used for the production of fruit spreads and in the canning industry. The average pectin content in quince fruits of different cultivars studied is 2 g/100 g. This makes it suitable for producing juices.
Food processing including heat treatment can increase the content of bioactive compounds in the final products. The processed forms of the quince assimilate certain improved features or characteristics constitutionally, by affecting the levels of bioactive compounds present as well as other essential components. Other factors such as genotypic effects, environmental conditions, and cultural practices can also influence the properties of the processed forms. These improved features can also influence consumer acceptance. It is important to consider not only the bioactive compounds and antioxidant capacity of quince fruits but also other compounds or characteristics that might take part in the productive process of juices or other quince derivate products, such as phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity.
These processed forms of the quince provide several essential benefits, which include increased shelf life, which preserves it for a longer time. It is worth knowing that polyphenols resist processing conditions (100°C) applied during jam production. Fruit processing during quince juice production alters qualitatively and quantitatively the phenolic profile (due to hydrolysis from large molecules and isomerization) while maintaining the antioxidant capacity. Also, the processing of quince into juice eg jams, jellies, etc. leads to a decrease in pH, moisture, and water activity and to an increase in soluble solids. The decrease in pH provides an acidic environment to reduce the progress of enzymatic activities. Also, moisture and water activity reduction provide unfavorable grounds for enzymes to flourish. Total phenolic compounds content and antioxidant capacity also increase, which leads to an increase in antioxidant activity thus reduction in oxidative. All these amount to an increase in shelf life since there is a reduction in lipolysis and oxidation. Radical scavenging activities are increased due to the presence of bioactive polyphenols and flavanones as well as a decrease in some physicochemical parameters such as pH, moisture etc that can promote enzymatic activities leading to spoilage(Al-Zughbi and Krayem, 2022)
Additionally, the presence of other antioxidants in quince juice, such as vitamin C and various phenolic compounds, can help delay oxidation/scavenge free radicals and prevent spoilage. Proper processing techniques, such as pasteurization or sterilization, further extend the shelf life by eliminating or reducing the number of harmful microorganisms. All these activities provide preservative effect that increases the shelf life of the quince juice.
REFERENCES
Al-Zughbi, I. and Krayem, M. (2022) ‘Quince fruit Cydonia oblonga Mill nutritional composition, antioxidative properties, health benefits, and consumers preferences towards some industrial quince products: A review’, Food Chemistry, 393, p. 133362. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2022.133362.
Wojdyło, A., Teleszko, M. and Oszmiański, J. (2013) ‘Antioxidant property and storage stability of quince juice phenolic compounds’, FOOD CHEMISTRY [Preprint], (November). Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2013.11.124.
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