Effect of mash maceration and ripening stage of apples on phenolic compounds and antioxidant power of cloudy juices: A study using chemometrics

•Phenolic content and antioxidant capacity increase after enzymatic treatment.•Chlorogenic acid and phloridzin are the highest monomeric phenolics.•Five individual phenolic compounds displayed correlation with antioxidant activity.•Applicability of chemometrics to monitor technological and agronomical properties.

The effects of different enzymatic preparations on total phenolic content, phenolic profile (HPLC), and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) of cloudy juices from Lis Gala and Fuji Suprema apples varieties, at three ripening stages (unripe, ripe and senescent) were investigated using Principal Component Analysis and Hierarchical Cluster Analysis. The commercial preparations enzymatic (Ultrazym® AFPL; Pectinex® Ultra Clear; Pectinex® SMASH XXL; Panzym® YieldMASH) increased the total phenolic compounds and ferric reducing capacity of the cloudy juice from unripe and ripe Lis Gala (respectively by 67 and 49% for unripe apples, and 28 and 33% for ripe apples) and unripe Fuji Suprema apples (23 and 55%), while for the ripe Fuji Suprema apples only Pectinex® Ultra Clear and Panzym® YieldMASH had this effect. No significant (p > 0.05) was observed on senescent stage, whatever the enzymatic preparation. Enzymatic preparations could increase phenolic compounds concentration and antioxidant capacity of cloudy apple juice, but this effect depended on the maturity of the apples.