Effect of natural extracts on the formation of acrylamide in fried potatoes

- Pretreatment with natural antioxidants decreased the formation of acrylamide.
- Pretreatment with 1 g/L of antioxidant produced the highest reduction in acrylamide.
- Pretreatment with green tea extract produced a reduction of 62% in acrylamide level.
- Potatoes treated with green tea extract no change their color, texture and acceptance.

The objective of the present work was to evaluate the effect of natural extracts on the formation of acrylamide in fried potatoes. The aqueous extracts used were obtained from wild oregano (Origanum vulgare), thyme (Thymus vulgaris), cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum), bougainvillea (Bougainvillea spp) and green tea (Camellia sinensis), which presented a high percentage of free radical inhibition (DPPH) (48-99%) and content of total phenolic compounds (205-547 μg EAG/μg of d.w.). Potatoes were submerged in the antioxidant extracts at a concentration of 1 g/L for 1 min, before being fried and their acrylamide concentration quantified by GC-MS. The extracts from green tea, cinnamon and oregano reduced the acrylamide level by 62%, 39% and 17%, respectively. The potatoes submerged in cinnamon and bougainvillea extracts showed differences in the color parameters compared to the control potatoes (P < 0.05); however, no significant differences (P > 0.05) were found in the texture and the peroxide values. The sensorial evaluation showed that the acceptance of the potatoes was not affected by the treatment applied. Thus, we can conclude that pre-treating potatoes with antioxidants before frying produces beneficial effects such as a reduction in acrylamide content, without any significant changes in their physicochemical, sensorial and textural properties.