Inhibitory effects of various antibrowning agents on apple slices

A comprehensive study to evaluate the relative antibrowning activity of 36 known compounds was conducted. Five chemical groups, including carboxylic acids, ascorbic acid derivatives, sulfur containing amino acids, phenolic acids and other miscellaneous compounds, were tested on apple slices under the same conditions. Among the compounds tested, oxalic acid, oxalacetic acid, ascorbic acid-2-phosphate, cysteine, glutathione, N-acetylcysteine, kojic acid and 4-hexyl resorcinol belonged to a group that showed the highest inhibitory activity on apple browning. The minimal concentrations of oxalacetic acid, oxalic acid, cysteine and kojic acid, for an effective antibrowning activity, were 0.25, 0.05, 0.05 and 0.05%, respectively. Oxalic acid showed a synergistic effect when 0.02% oxalic acid was used with 1% ascorbic acid or its derivatives.