Effects of sulfur dioxide concentration on organic acids and β-carotene in dried apricots during storage

•Effect of various SO2 concentrations on organic acids and β-carotene was determined.•As the SO2 concentration increased, citric and oxalic acid contents increased.•Increase in SO2 concentration led to the decrease in malic acid content in dried apricots.•The highest stabilities of malic acid and β-carotene were determined at 4 °C.•We recommend using 1600 mg SO2/kg to protect organic acids and β-carotene.

The effects of various sulfur dioxide (SO2) concentrations (0, 451, 832, 1594, 2112 and 3241 mg/kg) on the profiles and contents of organic acids (OAs) and β-carotene in sulfured dried apricots (SDAs) were investigated during storage at 4, 20 and 30 °C for 379 days. In all samples, four OAs [malic acid (MA), citric acid (CA), succinic acid (SA) and oxalic acid (OXA)] were identified. SA (13.9-31.8 g/kg dw) was the major OA in SDAs containing SO2 at lower than 1594 mg SO2/kg, while MA (11.7-11.7 g/kg dw) was the major OA in SDAs containing SO2 at higher than 1594 mg SO2/kg. As SO2 concentration increased, CA and OXA contents increased whereas MA contents decreased. Moreover, the highest stabilities of β-carotene, MA and SO2 were determined in SDAs containing 1594 mg SO2/kg at 4 °C. Therefore, we suggest using 1594 mg SO2/kg and storing SDAs at 4 °C to protect OAs and β-carotene.