Stability of polyphenols in chokeberry juice treated with gas phase plasma

• Content of flavonols and anthocyanins increased with thermal pasteurization.
• Content of hydroxycinnamic acids increased with plasma treatment.
• Plasma settings 4 min; 3 cm3; 0.75 dm3 min−1 provided highest polyphenolic stability.

Chokeberry juice was subjected to cold atmospheric gas phase plasma and changes in hydroxycinnamic acids, flavonols and anthocyanins were monitored. Plasma treatments were carried out under different treatment times and juice volumes under constant gas flow (0.75 dm3 min−1). The results were compared against control (untreated) and pasteurized chokeberry juice (80 °C/2 min). During pasteurization, the most unstable were hydroxycinnamic acids with losses of up to 59%, while flavonols and anthocyanins increased by 5% and 9%, respectively. On the contrary, plasma treated chokeberry juice showed higher concentrations of hydroxycinnamic acids and 23% loss of anthocyanins in comparison to untreated juice. In order to obtain the optimal cold plasma treatment parameters principal component and sensitivity analysis were used. Such parameters can be potentially used for pasteurization in terms of phenolic stability of chokeberry juice. Optimal treatment was at 4.1 min and sample volume of 3 cm3.