High pressure processing of fruit juice mixture sweetened with Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni: Optimal retention of physical and nutritional quality

The impact of high pressure processing (HPP) technology on physicochemical properties (color, browning index, turbidity index), bioactive compounds (ascorbic acid, total phenolic compounds, total anthocyanins, total carotenoids) and antioxidant capacity of a fruit juice mixture (papaya (32.5%, v/v), mango (10%, v/v) and orange (7.5%, v/v)) sweetened with Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni at different percentages was studied. The experimental design comprised a response surface methodology according to a central composite face-centered design. The variable ranges were 300-500 MPa (pressure), 5-15 min (time), 0-2.5% Stevia percentage. This design was used to determine the optimal high pressure-Stevia concentration in order to obtain the best retention of physicochemical and nutritional quality in the beverage following high pressure. HPP conducted at 300 MPa for 14 min led to a beverage with the greatest presence of antioxidant compounds and total color differences lower than 3. Industrial relevance There has been increasing interest in the use of non-caloric sweeteners from plant sources, among them is Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni, due to the growing evidence of its health benefits. Combined mixtures of S. rebaudiana water extracts and fruit juice can be a useful tool in order to provide new food products with increased nutritional properties. Moreover, high pressure processing (HPP) allows the acquisition of drinks that keep their characteristics similar to the fresh product. A deeper knowledge of the effect of HPP on the nutritional and physicochemical characteristics of these new beverages processed by HPP with regard to unprocessed juices is necessary.