Nonthermal inactivation of polyphenol oxidase in apple juice influenced by moderate electric fields: Effects of periodic on-off and constant exposure electrical treatments

Inactivation of polyphenol oxidase (PPO) in fresh apple juice was studied in moderate electric field (MEF) treatments at field strengths in the range of 85–110 V/cm. The apple juice was subjected to periodic on-off treatments at 50 °C and constant exposure MEF treatments at 50 and 65 °C using two different electro-processing devices, specially constructed for the purpose. PPO inactivation by the electric fields was determined with respect to the corresponding control (nofield) treatments. The application of periodic on-off treatments resulted in about 100% increase (P ≤ 0.05) of the thermal inactivation rate constant of PPO at 50 °C. A similar relative increase of the thermal inactivation rate constant was observed with the constant exposure MEF treatment at 50 °C. The electric field influence was improved significantly (P ≤ 0.05) in the constant exposure MEF treatment at 65 °C. Differences in electrical energy input among the MEF treatments were observed. Results indicate both the electric field strength and the treatment temperature play critical roles in enzyme inactivation by moderate electric fields. Industrial relevance: This study shows polyphenol oxidase enzyme in fresh apple juice can be significantly inactivated by moderate electric fields applied at below thermal pasteurization temperatures. Therefore, moderate electric field treatment applications are beneficial for the minimally processed fruit and vegetable industry.