Effects of gamma irradiation in Castanea sativa tocopherols profile: study extended to four different chestnut varieties
Conference Paper
Overview
Overview
abstract
In the region of Trás-os-Montes, chestnut production represents a significant income, estimated to be about
15
M€
in
2010.
It
is
therefore,
mandatory
to
develop
a
safe,
reliable
and
cheap disinfestation alternative to
post-harvest fumigation with methyl bromide, since its eradication in 2010 by the European Union, due to
environmental concerns and danger for the operators. Hot water dip is being used as a replacement, but
still display considerable technical disadvantages, giving way to other alternatives like irradiation. Today,
many food commodities (e.g. frog legs, spices, mushrooms) are irradiated in Europe with strict regulation
and no health issues reported [1]. Tocopherols represent the isoforms of vitamin E, which are known for
their excellent antioxidant activity, either alone or in synergy with vitamin C. The natural antioxidants
present in fruits help the body fight against dangerous free radicals, which lead to oxidative stress, and
their intake should be favoured over food supplements [2].
The effects of gamma irradiation on the nutritional [3] and antioxidant [4] profiles of chestnuts has been
studied by our research group as well as other chemical and physical parameters. Radiation has very low
impact in both physic and chemical parameters when compared to other treatments and to the storage time
that chestnuts are subject to. In this study, the validation of gamma radiation at 1 kGy was extended to 4
different varieties of chestnuts, 3 from Portugal (Longal, Judia, and Cota) and 1 from Italy (Palommina). The
tocopherols profile of each variety of chestnuts was determined through High Performance Liquid
Chromatography coupled to a Fluorescence Detector, demonstrating a very high
concentration
of
γ-
tocopherol
when
compared
to
α
and
δ,
and
no
trace
β-tocopherol. At this dosage, gamma radiation
preserved these bioactive compounds in all the varieties, confirming its benefits as a treatment for
chestnuts.
ON.2/QREN/EU Project no.13198/2010 for financial support, FCT and
COMPETE/QREN/EU for financial support to CIMO (strategic project PEst-OE/AGR/UI0690/2011). J.C.M.
Barreira and A.L. Antonio also thank to FCT, POPH-QREN and FSE for their grants (SFRH/BPD/72802/2010
and SFRH/PROTEC/67398/2010, respectively).
