Kinetic modeling of high-pressure induced inactivation of polyphenol oxidase in sugarcane juice (Saccharum officinarum)

Background: Polyphenol oxidase (PPO) is the main enzyme in sugarcane juice associated with rapid browning and degradation of organoleptic properties. High-pressure processing (HPP) (300-600 MPa) of sugarcane juice in combination with moderate temperatures (30-60 °C) for different processing times (10-25 min) has shown promising results in minimizing PPO activity while preserving the juice's freshness.

Results: A maximum PPO inactivation of 98% was achieved at 600 MPa/60 °C/25 min, while the corresponding value for thermal treatment at 0.1 MPa/60 °C was only 66%. The nonlinearity in the inactivation data was well described by the Weibull distribution model with a high adjusted R² and reduced χ² values at all levels of pressure and temperature. The PPO inactivation data were fitted at shape parameter, β = 1 (log linear) and β ≠ 1. A refitted Weibull model was used to predict kinetic parameters such as the inactivation rate constants (k), activation energy (E_a ) and activation volume (V_a ), which govern PPO inactivation in HPP-treated sugarcane juice. A secondary kinetic model was formulated to predict the k values as a function of pressure (P) and temperature (T), incorporating E_a and V_a .

Conclusions: Combined high-pressure and temperature processing has been considered a reliable alternative to conventional heat treatment for inhibiting PPO activity in sugarcane juice. While the isothermal inactivation of PPO followed first-order kinetics, inclusion of high pressure resulted in a strong deviation from log linear kinetics. Identification of suitable kinetic models describing these inactivation processes is expected to aid product development and process control of high-pressure processed sugarcane juice. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry.