Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10216/104481
Author(s): Maria S. Gião
Cláudia I. Pereira
Manuela E. Pintado
F. Xavier Malcata
Title: Effect of technological processing upon the antioxidant capacity of aromatic and medicinal plant infusions: From harvest to packaging
Issue Date: 2013
Abstract: Antioxidants are secondary metabolites in plants, designed to protect them from abiotic stress; however, they may also improve one's general health, following regular ingestion. Since most foods from plant origin are consumed only after processing and formulation, the final activity exhibited by their antioxidants may be rather different from that in the original plant. Ten plants empirically used in Portugal in traditional medicine were accordingly studied - agrimony (Agrimonia eupatoria), eucalyptus (Eucalyptus globulus), walnut-tree (Juglans regia), myrtle (Myrtus communis), raspberry (Rubus idaeus), sage (Salvia sp.), savory (Satureja montana), sweet-amber (Hypericum androsaemum), thyme (Thymus vulgaris) and yarrow (Achillea millefolium), for total antioxidant capacity and total phenolic content. Significant variations were found between fresh and frozen forms: most plants decreased those features by 30-80 %. However, weather conditions prevailing during plant growth also had a significant impact, besides postharvest storage conditions - especially in the case of antioxidant capacity. Typically, a decrease occurred throughout processing and storage, which was maximum for myrtle and minimum for yarrow. The results of this research are useful in attempts to preserve the antioxidant content of plant-derived foods, or of plant additives in foods, via rational manipulation of processing conditions after harvest and throughout storage.
Subject: Ciências Tecnológicas, Ciências da engenharia e tecnologias
Technological sciences, Engineering and technology
Scientific areas: Ciências da engenharia e tecnologias
Engineering and technology
URI: https://hdl.handle.net/10216/104481
Document Type: Artigo em Revista Científica Internacional
Rights: restrictedAccess
Appears in Collections:FEUP - Artigo em Revista Científica Internacional

Files in This Item:
File Description SizeFormat 
65271.pdf
  Restricted Access
Artigo original publicado595.11 kBAdobe PDF    Request a copy from the Author(s)


Items in DSpace are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated.