Unit

Food Science

Problem Area
Handling and Storing Plant Products

Lesson
Enzymatic Browning

Student Learning Objectives

1.

E !lain "ow enzymatic browning occurs and "ow it a##ects #ood !roducts. E !lain a variety o# met"ods t"at can be used to sto! or slow t"e !rocess o# enzymatic browning.

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%erms

antio idant bu##er c"elate c"elating agent enzymatic browning melanin !H !oly!"enol o idase

&"at is enzymatic browning and "ow does it a##ect #ood !roducts'

Pealing( cutting( bruising( or natural deterioration o# vegetables and #ruits causes enzymes #rom t"e tissues to be released. )dditionally( using co!!er or iron !ans( lengt" o# e !osure to air( and "umidity increase t"is !rocess. &"en t"ese enzymes come in contact wit" o ygen a reaction occurs creating a brown !igment or discoloration. %"is browning cannot only ma*e t"e #ood loo* una!!ealing( so#ten it and cause it to lose #lavor( but it can also severely limit t"e s"el# li#e o# t"e !roduct decreasing its value. Some #oods can bene#it #rom enzymatic browning. Foods t"at "ave a more desirable #lavor or color as a result o# enzymatic browning include cocoa( tea( co##ee( raisins( and !runes.

). Enzymatic browning is a bioc"emical !rocess in w"ic" !lant +#ruit or vegetable, tissues ta*e on a brown color w"en e !osed to o ygen. Ot"er ty!es o# browning in #oods include maillard browning +!roteins and sugars at "ig" tem!eratures,( carmelization +sugars at "ig" tem!eratures,( and li!id browning +#ats at "ig" tem!eratures,. B. Enzymatic browning occurs w"en !lant tissue is e !osed to air resulting in a brown colored !igment( melanin( being !roduced as a result o# a series o# bioc"emical reactions. P"enolases w"ic" are enzymes #ound outside t"e cell wall come in contact wit" colorless !"enols w"ic" are #ound inside t"e cell causing t"e brown color to a!!ear.

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Melanin is any o# a grou! o# brown or blac* !igments occurring in !lants and animals. .elanin !rovides t"e color in t"e s*in o# "umans. occurring enzyme called polyphenol oxidase acts as a catalyst to s!eed u! t"e !rocess w"ic" can occur ra!idly at warm tem!eratures w"en t"e !H is between 0.1 and 2.1. Poly!"enol o idase is a co!!er3containing enzyme t"at catalyzes or causes t"e o idation o# !"enol com!ounds contained in !lant tissues.

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How can enzymatic browning be sto!!ed or slowed'

%"e !oly!"enol o idase enzyme can be inactivated by certain organic acids. )cids suc" as ascorbic acid and citric acid are commonly used in t"e #ood industry to !revent browning o# #ruits and vegetables. ). )scorbic acid acts as an antio idant to !revent enzymatic browning. )n antioxidant is a substance t"at by!asses o idation or in"ibits reactions !romoted by o ygen4 o#ten used as a !reservative. O ygen !re#erentially reacts wit" t"e ascorbate( rat"er t"an t"e !"enolic com!ound in t"e #ruit until t"e ascorbic acid is com!letely used u!. %"e melanin can also be bleac"ed by t"e ascorbic acid.

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-itric acid acts as a c"elating agent to !revent t"e #ruit sam!le #rom browning. -itric acid in"ibits t"e !oly!"enol o idase enzyme by reducing co!!er ions w"ic" are necessary #or t"e enzyme to be active. ) chelating agent is a substance t"at causes a metal ion +eg. co!!er( iron, to react wit" anot"er molecule to #orm a c"elate. ) chelate is a c"emical com!ound in w"ic" t"e metal ion +eg. co!!er, is attac"ed to neig"boring atoms by at least two bonds in suc" a way as to #orm a ring structure. 5n addition( citric acid also lowers t"e !H inactivating t"e !oly!"enol o idase.

-. )cetic acid lowers t"e !H o# t"e #ruit tissues( and browning is reduced or !revented. 5# t"e !H is reduced below 6.1( t"e !oly!"enol o idase enzyme is inactivated.

1. %"e pH is a measure o# t"e relative acidity or al*alinity o# a substance. %"e !H scale is used to measure t"e "ydrogen ion +H 7 , concentration in a solution. B. %"e scale starts at 1 and ends at 18. ) !H o# 2.1 is neutral4 t"e concentration o# H 7 and OH 3 +"ydro ide ions, is e9ual. ) number lower t"an 2.1 indicates t"at t"e solution is acidic and a number "ig"er t"an 2.1 indicates t"at t"e solution is basic or al*aline. Eac" ste! #rom one number to t"e ne t on t"e !H scale indicates a logarit"mic increase. For e am!le( a solution o# :.1 is ten times more acidic t"an a solution wit" a !H o# 2.14 a solution o# ;.1 is ten times more basic or contains 11 times as many "ydro ide ions as a solution wit" a !H o# 2.1.

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) buffer is a wea* acid or base t"at reacts wit" a stronger acid or base to "el! neutralize t"e substance or bring it closer to 2.1. Bu##ers are needed because strong acids and bases can disru!t c"emical reactions causing t"e body to not maintain "omeostasis +maintaining stable internal conditions in t"e body,. See !H scale on #ollowing !age.

6.

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Fres" #ruits !laced in a water bat" will not turn brown. &ater restricts t"e amount o# o ygen in contact wit" #ruit tissues( and o ygen is necessary in t"e enzymatic browning !rocess. -oo*ing #oods +blanc"ing, inactivates t"e !oly!"enol o idase. However( t"is can be una!!ealing to many !eo!le. .inimal "andling decreases browning.

E.

F. <.

5m!roved cultivars( storage conditions( and atmos!"eric conditions are also being studied.

=eview>Summary

&"at

is enzymatic browning and "ow does it a##ect #ood !roducts' How can enzymatic browning be sto!!ed or slowed'