Effect of high hydrostatic pressure applied to a Mexican honey to increase its microbiological and functional quality

• Published in: Food and bioproducts processing Vol. 102; pp. 299 - 306
• Main Authors: Leyva-Daniel, Diana E., Escobedo-Avellaneda, Zamantha, Villalobos-Castillejos, Fidel, Alamilla-Beltrán, Liliana, Welti-Chanes, Jorge
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Rugby Elsevier B.V 01-03-2017; Elsevier Science Ltd
• Subjects: Antioxidants; Aquatic reptiles; Ascorbic acid; Biological activity; Carotenoids; Fructose; Functional properties; Glucose; High hydrostatic pressure; Honey; Hydrostatic pressure; Hydroxymethylfurfural; Impact analysis; Maltose; Mexican honey; Microbiological flora; Microbiology; Microorganisms; Phenolic compounds; Phenols; Pressure effects; Q factors; Quality parameters; Rheological behavior; Rheological properties; Studies; Violaxanthin; Viscosity; Vitamins; Mexico; Functional properties; High hydrostatic pressure; Mexican honey; Rheological behavior; Microbiological flora; Quality parameters
• ISSN: 0960-3085; 1744-3571
• DOI: 10.1016/j.fbp.2017.01.001

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•HHP processing decreased native microorganism counts in honey.•The antioxidant activity and phenolic content of honey increased after 2min of processing at 600MPa.•The total carotenoids content was maintained after up to 8min of processing.•The viscosity slightly of honey decreased at all HHP processing conditions.
High hydrostatic pressure (HHP) applied at 600MPa (0, 2, 5, 8, 12 and 15min) was used as an alternative method to reduce the microbial population, preserving bioactivity (antioxidant activity (AOA), vitamin C, total phenolic and carotenoid contents) and other quality factors (diastase activity, 5-hydroxymethylfurfural, fructose and glucose contents and rheological behavior) of a Mexican honey. HHP processing reduces viable microorganisms in honey and the treatment for 15min reduced the total microbial count below detection limit. AOA and total phenolic content were increased by 30% and 6%, respectively, after 2min processing. The vitamin C, fructose, glucose and maltose contents in HHP treated honey were retained at all processing times. The total carotenoid content was maintained at processing times up to 8min, while violaxanthin content was reduced by 56% after 15min. HHP did not change the contents of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural, while the diastase activity decreased by 10% after 12min treatment. Honey exhibited a Newtonian behavior and its viscosity was decreased at all HHP processing conditions. HHP treatment at 600MPa for 2min offers an opportunity to enhance the antioxidant properties of honey while reducing its microbiological load and preserving its the general quality parameters of honey.