Influence of electron beam irradiation in the organic acids profile of Portuguese chestnuts (Castanea sativa Mill.)
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ON.2/QREN/EU Project no.13198/2010, FCT, Portugal, and
COMPETE/QREN/EU for financial support to CIMO (strategic project PEst-OE/AGR/UI0690/2011).
A.L. Antonio, L. Barros and J.C.M. Barreira also thank FCT, POPH-QREN and FSE for their grants
(SFRH/PROTEC/67398/2010, SFRH/BPD/4609/2008 and SFRH/BPD/72802/2010, respectively).
Finally they also thank Prof. A. Chmielewski, Director of the Institute of Nuclear Chemistry and
Technology, for allowing e-beam irradiations.
Organic acids are primary metabolites that play important roles in plant metabolism and confer distinct
flavors in fruits. Their consumption is beneficial for humans, namely against certain illnesses. The food
industry uses them as preservatives and flavor enhancers. In fruits conservation and transport, organic
acids should be preserved at all costs in order to maintain physical quality and pleasant flavors until
they reach the consumer. In 2010, due to European legislation, methyl bromide was banned as a
conservation method for chestnuts due to its toxicity to operators and negative effects to the
environment. Since then, various innovative techniques have been pursued, and irradiation has proved
to be a viable, cheap and environment friendly one. Our research group has studied that both gamma
and electron beam irradiation as a conservation method in Portuguese chestnuts and proven that they
do not alter in a significant way the nutritional value and antioxidant potential of these fruits. Herein,
the influence of increasing doses of electron beam irradiation (0- control, 0.5, 1, 3 and 6 kGy) and
different storage times (0, 30 and 60 days), in the organic acids profile of Portuguese chestnuts, was
studied. Ultra-fast liquid chromatography coupled to a photodiode array detector (UFLC-PDA) was
used to quantify oxalic, quinic, malic, ascorbic, citric, fumaric, succinic and shikimic acids. Our results
indicate that the irradiation doses did not significantly influence the quantity of organic acids in the
samples, proving to be a safe and valuable conservation technique.
