Bulk storage of mango (Mangifera indica L.) and pineapple (Ananas comosus L.) pulp: effect of pulping and storage temperature on phytochemicals and antioxidant activity

BACKGROUND: The effects of pulp extraction, thermal treatment and bulk storage of mango (Mangifera indica L.) and pineapple (Ananas comosus L.) pulps for 20 weeks at ambient (28 ± 2 °C) and cold (4 °C) temperatures on the bioactive phytochemicals and antioxidant activity were investigated. RESULTS: The contents of total polyphenols in mango (10.5%) and pineapple (5.4%) increased during pulping. The ratio of the degradation rate constants (k (d) values) (28 ± 2 °C: 4 °C) of vitamin C, polyphenols, Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC) and β‐carotene ranged from 2–4.5 and 1.5–2.7 in mango and pineapple pulps, respectively. The k (d) values of tannic acid, chlorogenic acid, epicatechin and catechin in mango pulp were 1.5–1.8 times higher under ambient storage than in cold storage. Furthermore, in pineapple pulp, the degradation rates of the same components were 1.6, 1.6, 2.1 and 1.4 times, respectively, faster at room temperature than in cold storage. The bulk storage of pulps at 4 °C provided better retention of health‐promoting compounds than ambient temperature storage for up to 20 weeks. CONCLUSION: Bulk storage of mango and pineapple pulp under cold storage conditions (4 °C) is recommended as a better pulp preservation method than storage at ambient (28 ± 2 °C) temperature. © 2019 The Authors. Journal of The Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.