The Influence of Temperature on the Antioxidants of Aronia mitschurinii Fruit Juice and Drinks

Aronia mitschurinii is a cultivated species originating from crossbreeding the wild species Aronia melanocarpa, also known as the black chokeberry, and European mountain ash Sorbus aucuparia. The aronia fruit is dark purple, which can be attributed to the high content of anthocyanins, other flavonoids, and polyphenols. Aronia’s reputation as a superberry entices small farms to use it as a prospective specialty crop. The fruit’s high antioxidant content is a likely ingredient in several new products, such as jellies, jams, vitamin supplements, and beverages. Food applications of any fruit require high-temperature pasteurization as a major step in fruit processing. Many also require cooking. However, there are some major effects higher temperatures may have on antioxidants, such as isomerization and decomposition, both of which result in a loss of bioavailability of these key compounds. Here, we present a detailed investigation of the effect of temperature and time on the antioxidant content of Aronia mitschurinii juice and power aid drink. UV/vis methods were used to determine the total concentrations of anthocyanins, flavonoids, polyphenols, and tannins and to determine the optimal pasteurization and/or thermal processing conditions that would prevent significant loss in the antioxidant content in aronia products.