Antifreeze peptide pretreatment minimizes freeze-thaw damage to cherries: An in-depth investigation

•Study investigating the potential of synthetic antifreeze peptides in frozen cherries.•All peptides protected frozen cherries from freeze thaw damage.•Evidence of structure, texture volatiles and antioxidant preservation presented.•First investigation on the potential of synthetic antifreeze peptides in frozen cherries.•None of the peptides are cytotoxic.

The changes in quality undergone by food of any kind during frozen storage have drawn significant attention in the frozen food industry. The effects on the quality of frozen cherries which were pre-treated with different antifreeze peptides (AFPs) were investigated in this study by measuring their physical characteristics and biochemical composition in controlled experiments. Prior to freezing, cherry samples were pre-treated by soaking in solutions of three synthetic AFP solutions which are based on antifreeze proteins found in nature. Our results show that AFP pretreatment decreases the drip loss and preserves the color, structure, texture, total anthocyanin, phenolic and antioxidant content of frozen cherries, thereby proving their potential in frozen food applications.

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