Effects of Heat Treatment Combined with γ-aminobutyric Acid on the Physiology Property and Quality of Fresh-Cut Apple

To investigate its effect on the physiology property and quality of fresh-cut ‘Fuji’ apple slices during storage, the effect of heat treatment (45℃, 2 min), γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA, 1.5%, 10 min) and heat treatment combined with GABA on the quality of apple slices were studied. The results showed that the sensory quality, the contents of total soluble solids (TSS) and titratable acids (TA), L^* value and 1, 1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity of the control treatment decreased at 8 d under 4℃ storage. The browning index, activity of polyphenol oxidase (PPO) and peroxidase (POD) of the control increased with the accumulation of malondialdehyde (MDA). Compared with the control group, the heat treatment, GABA treatment and heat treatment combined with GABA significantly inhibited the decrease of TSS, titratable acids and L^* value, and maintained a high sensory score. Furthermore, the total phenolic content and DPPH radical scavenging activity improved, PPO and POD activities as well as MDA content decreased by the three treatments, and the browning degree reduced and high DPPH scavenging ability maintained. Among them, heat treatment combined with GABA was the best for preserving quality of fresh-cut apple slices.