Abstract

Maqui is a wild native berry from the Chilean and Argentinean Patagonia that is considered an important source of bioactive compounds for its high antioxidant activity and anthocyanin concentration. Processing methods that improve shelf-life can affect stability of antioxidant compounds. Furthermore, there is limited information of the processing effect on non-anthocyanin phenolic compounds, antioxidant capacity and quality of maqui-derived products. The aim of this work was to those characteristics on processed fruit using conventional canning (CC), convective forced hot air drying (CFHAD), osmotic drying (OD), and freeze-drying (FD). Ten nonanthocyanin phenolics were quantified using HPLC-MS. Luteolin-7-O-glucoside and hydroxycinnamic acid concentration showed a significant reduction by 45% when processed using CFHAD and OD. Rutin and hyperoside concentrations were significantly higher (24.76 mu g/g and 100.20 mu g/g) in FD maqui when compared to CC and OD treatments. CFHAD achieved the lowest water activity (0.41) and CC the highest total soluble solids content 28.00 degrees Brix. Antioxidant capacity of CC maqui samples showed a 17.6% decrease, while FD, CFHAD, and OD samples showed an average 21.8% increase. The results of this work can provide valuable information to functional food producers to determine optimal processing conditions to protect antioxidant compound of maqui.