Effects of different enzymatic pre-press maceration treatments on the release of phenols into blackcurrant juice

The effects of different pectinolytic enzyme treatments on the release of phenolic compounds from blackcurrant berry mash into juice in experimental blackcurrant juice production were examined. The influence of enzyme dose (0-0.1% by weight), degree of berry crushing, maceration time, and temperature on the total phenol concentration, the juice yield, and on polysaccharide degradation were evaluated for four commercial, fungal enzyme preparations in statistically designed experimental templates. In optimal experimental conditions, treatments with Macer8 [FJ] and Pectinex Ultra SP-L released ~6500 and 6650 mg gallic acid equivalents/L of total phenols, respectively. These levels correspond to increases of 14-15% compared to the juice extracted without enzymes, and were significantly higher than those achieved with Rapidase BE Super and Grindamyl pectinase treatments. Increased enzyme dosage gave larger juice yields and higher phenol concentrations. There was a positive, linear correlation between degradation of the substrate polysaccharides and the amount of phenols released. The juice samples inhibited the oxidation of human low-density lipoproteins in vitro in a dose-dependent matter. The non-enzyme-treated sample exhibited higher antioxidant activity than the enzyme-treated juices at equimolar test levels of phenols, presumably because of differences in their phenolic profiles.