JP3404703B2 - Anti-tarnish for fruits and vegetables - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a discoloration preventive agent for fruits and vegetables, particularly for preventing peeling or cut vegetables and fruits from discoloring, especially discoloration due to polyphenol oxidase activity.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art The demand for convenience in eating habits is increasing year by year, and convenience stores and the like are increasing year by year for fruits and vegetables designed to be easily eaten, such as raw vegetable salad and cut fruits. However,
Fruits and vegetables such as these raw vegetable salads and cut fruits
Not only is it easy to lose freshness when dried, but it is also easy to discolor,
It is not easy to distribute and display in a fresh state.

On the other hand, consumers' interest in the freshness of foods tends to increase year by year, and as for fruits and vegetables in particular, the presence or absence of discoloration and its color and luster have become the most important criteria for purchasing.

It is considered that such "discoloration of fruits and vegetables" is caused by the action of polyphenol oxidase, that is, the polyphenol contained in fruits and vegetables reacts with oxygen due to the activity of polyphenol oxidase, and is oxidized and polymerized (Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 7-58200). -289163, JP-A-2-2
34649, JP-A-59-85279, JP-A-2-2
34638, etc.). Various "discoloration preventing agents" and "discoloration preventing methods" for the purpose of preventing polyphenol oxidation or inhibiting polyphenol oxidase activity have been disclosed. For example, “a discoloration preventing method of capturing oxygen which is a cause of oxidation by a reducing action of vitamin C”, and “a polyphenol oxidase inhibitor obtained by treating a protein extract-free plant extract with ascorbate oxidase. Discoloration preventing agent as an active ingredient (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2-23463)
No. 8) ”,“ A browning prevention method for preventing oxidation by forming a starchy coating layer on the surface of peeled fruits and preventing contact with oxygen in the air (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2-234649) ”, or , "Discoloration preventive agent for fruits and vegetables containing a polyphenol oxidase activity inhibitor such as kojic acid, cinnamic acid, benzoic acid (JP-A-7-289163)" and the like.

[0005]

However, the conventional "discoloration preventing agent" and "discoloration preventing method" cannot obtain the desired discoloration preventing effect, the cost is high, or the quality is changed. However, there is a problem in that the flavor may be deteriorated and the flavor may be deteriorated. Therefore, the present invention intends to provide a discoloration preventive agent for fruits and vegetables, which has an excellent discoloration preventing effect, can be manufactured at low cost, and yet does not deteriorate quality such as flavor.

[0006]

[Means for Solving the Problems] As a result of intensive studies conducted by the present inventors to solve such problems, "betaine" has the effect of inhibiting the activity of polyphenol oxidase and remarkably suppressing the discoloration of fruits and vegetables such as vegetables and fruits. The present invention has been made based on this finding. In the present invention, the idea of preventing discoloration by capturing oxygen, which is the cause of oxidation, is also disclosed in JP-A-6-29.
This is also different from the idea disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 3602, in which the water content of the plant body is secured by giving betaine to thereby maintain the freshness of the plant body.
The present invention is intended to prevent the discoloration of fruits and vegetables by reducing the activity of polyphenol oxidase, which is an oxidase for polyphenols, by the action of betaine, thereby preventing the oxidation of polyphenols in fruits and vegetables. Therefore, by further using betaine together with another substance having an activity of inhibiting polyphenol oxidase activity, a more excellent effect of inhibiting polyphenol oxidase activity can be obtained.

That is, the discoloration preventive agent for fruits and vegetables of the present invention is characterized by using betaine as an active ingredient for inhibiting the activity of polyphenol oxidase, and also a substance having the activity of inhibiting betaine and other polyphenol oxidase activities. It is also characterized in that and are used as active ingredients for inhibiting the activity of polyphenol oxidase. The "discoloration of fruits and vegetables" in the present invention means discoloration due to the action of polyphenol oxidase,
It does not include discoloration that occurs when it is frozen or when it is passed through boiling water.

In the present invention, "a substance having an activity of inhibiting other polyphenol oxidase activity" refers to JP-A-7-
289163, namely kojic acid, cinnamic acid, ferulic acid, benzoic acid, ascorbic acid, vanillic acid, protocatechuic acid, citric acid, coumarinic acid, disodium EDTA, eugenol, curcumin, cysteine, glutathione, urocanic acid. , Histidine, L-phenylalanine, lysine, glycine, sodium chloride, potassium chloride, cytidine, uridine, adenosine, guanine, guanosine, cytosine, thymidine, uracil, α-rutin, D-glucosamine, N-acetylglucosamine, hesperetin, phytic acid , Sodium pyrosulfite, hyposulfite, sulfurous acid, gallic acid, pyrogallol, pyrocatechol, butylhydroxytoluene, adipic acid, ethanol, catechin, polygodial, proanthocyani , Lemon juice, vanilla extract, dried egg white, sodium caseinate, whey protein, rosemary extract, allyl isothiocyanate, polylysine, sodium salts thereof, potassium salts thereof and the like, and at least one or more substances selected from the group Can be mentioned. Among them, kojic acid and ascorbic acid are more preferable because they can obtain a particularly excellent synergistic effect.

Further, ethyl alcohol having antibacterial properties,
When sodium hypochlorite (antiformin) or the like is mixed, an antibacterial effect as well as a discoloration preventing effect can be obtained. By mixing known water freshness-keeping agents, anti-tarnish agents, active water, and water treated with functional water, such as pyromagnetic water, resonance magnetic water, and ozone water, various anti-bacterial effects as well as various anti-bacterial effects can be obtained. It can be obtained, and it can be made as a more excellent discoloration preventing agent.

The "vegetables and fruits" to which the present invention is applied include
Cabbage, lettuce, onion, carrot, yam, burdock,
Eggplant, potatoes and other vegetables, apples, bananas, peaches,
Examples thereof include fruits such as pears, and those obtained by peeling or cutting these.

Further, the "betaine" in the present invention means
It means all compounds that form a zwitterion with an inner salt such as a quaternary ammonium base, a phosphonium base and a sulfonium base. Among them, N-trialkyl-substituted amino acids, that is, the general formula

[0012]

[Chemical 1]

The compound represented by the formula (wherein R represents an alkyl group having 1 to 8 carbon atoms or H) is a natural product widely existing in the animal and plant kingdoms, and is easily decomposed in the natural world such as the ground and water. Moreover, it is preferable in that there is no fear of environmental pollution.

Further, among them, "glycine betaine"
That is, the general formula

[0015]

[Chemical 2]

Is preferred. "Glycine betaine" is contained in seafood, shrimp, crabs and other crustaceans, squid, octopus, and seafood such as shellfish, malt, or mushrooms, and is also contained in large amounts in the sugar beet molasses. It is industrially separable and easily available, and its safety has been confirmed as described as a seasoning in the “existing additive list” established by the Ministry of Health and Welfare. Furthermore, since the solubility in water and alcohol is high, the concentration of the solution can be freely adjusted and the handling is easy. That is, the "betaine" in the present invention may be an anhydride or a hydrate, but purified glycine betaine satisfying the criteria for food additives is most preferable. Moreover, the origin of betaine is not particularly limited. For example, betaine in a state purified by chemical synthesis, betaine contained in a natural product, or betaine extracted from the natural product can be used.
As the betaine contained in a natural product, for example, sugar beet and the like can be used that is shredded using a grater or a food processor.

[0017]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION "A discoloration preventing agent for fruits and vegetables" according to the present invention
The concentration of betaine in 0.001 to 60% is preferable, and 0.1 to 30% is particularly preferable. Within this concentration range, it is more preferable to appropriately change and determine depending on the type of vegetables and fruits to be applied, quality, harvest time, size, weight and the like.

The discoloration preventive agent for fruits and vegetables according to the present invention is adjusted to a pH range in which the activity of polyphenol oxidase is remarkably reduced (this pH range varies depending on the type of target vegetables and fruits, but is generally an acidic range). It is preferable to use it. By adjusting to this pH range, the polyphenol oxidase activity inhibiting effect of betaine, that is, the discoloration preventing effect can be further enhanced. In particular, the polyphenol oxidase activity can be more completely suppressed by adjusting the pH to an acidic range, particularly 4 or less, by using, for example, ascorbic acid, kojic acid or the like.

In the present invention, the above betaine or a mixture thereof can be used as it is, but it is generally preferable to use it after dissolving or dispersing it in a suitable liquid carrier such as an aqueous solution. Further, by mixing with a suitable powder carrier or adsorbing it thereto, if necessary, an emulsifier, a dispersant, a suspending agent, a penetrant, a wetting agent, a stabilizer, etc. are added thereto, and an aqueous solution, an emulsion, Formulations such as oils, wettable powders and powders can also be made.

(Method of use) The anti-tarnish agent of the present invention is dissolved in a suitable liquid carrier as described above to form a solution, which is then applied to the outer surface of fruits and vegetables, the outer surface of peeled fruits and vegetables or the cut surface of cut fruits and vegetables. , Coating or spraying (including spraying), immersing fruits and vegetables in a solution, impregnating a non-woven fabric, and wrapping the fruits and vegetables with this non-woven fabric,
Alternatively, it can be used (treated) by directly injecting into fruits and vegetables. Above all, spraying or dipping is preferable from the viewpoints of efficiency and retention of commercial value. Further, the discoloration preventing agent of the present invention exhibits more excellent effects in an environment in which the temperature during processing or storage is lowered to 10 ° C or lower, particularly 4 ° C or lower. It is considered that this is because the activity of polyphenol oxidase is significantly reduced. Therefore, the temperature of the treatment solution, and preferably the temperature of fruits and vegetables is also 10
It is preferable to adjust the temperature to ℃ or less and to treat, and it is preferable to dehydrate and vacuum treat the treated fruits and vegetables and store them at a low temperature of 10 ℃ or less.

Example 1 In this example, the browning-preventing effect of glycine betaine on cabbage, which is one of the most commonly-distributed vegetables as cut vegetables, was tested.

Shred the cabbage and start with 200 pp
Immersed in m antiformin for 5 minutes. This treatment was carried out in order to sterilize with antiformin and unify the conditions for the number of bacteria in the test section. The cabbage thus pretreated was thoroughly dehydrated, then dipped in an aqueous solution of glycine betaine of various concentrations (pH) for 5 minutes, and then dehydrated again, and put in a vinyl bag provided with a ventilation hole at 10 ° C. It was stored and observed over time. In addition, as a control, those subjected to only antiformin treatment, and as a comparative control, prepared were those subjected to the same treatment using sodium ascorbate, which is known to have a browning-preventing effect. It was stored and observed over time. The results of the above observations are shown in Table 1 below.

In the above observation, the appearance of the cabbage was visually observed, and the smell was confirmed by the sense of smell.
The evaluation was performed based on the criteria of stages. A: No change B: Some water is coming out. In addition to the state of C ... B, browning is partially observed. In addition to the state of D ... C, browning is observed as a whole. In addition to the state of E ... D, it became water-immersive and had an offensive odor.

[0024]

[Table 1]

As a result, the appearance of the control turned brown with each passing day, and the appearance was remarkably deteriorated, and the offensive odor was already observed after 4 days. On the other hand, in the glycine betaine-treated area, no browning was observed even after 4 days,
Moreover, the state of being almost unchanged from the day of the treatment was maintained. Moreover, the browning prevention effect of this glycine betaine is
It was superior to the effect of sodium ascorbate already used as an anti-browning agent. Than this,
The anti-browning agent of the present invention is considered to have extremely high practicality.

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Claims (3)

(57) [Claims] 1. A discoloration preventive agent for fruits and vegetables, which comprises betaine as an active ingredient for inhibiting the activity of polyphenol oxidase. 2. Betaine and kojic acid, cinnamic acid, ferulic acid, benzoic acid, ascorbic acid, vanillic acid, protocatechuic acid, citric acid, coumarinic acid, EDTA disodium, eugenol, curcumin, cysteine, glutathione, urocanic acid, Histidine, L-phenylalanine, lysine, glycine, sodium chloride, potassium chloride, cytidine, uridine, adenosine, guanine, guanosine, cytosine, thymidine, uracil, α-rutin, D-glucosamine, N-acetylglucosamine, hesperetin, phytic acid, Sodium pyrosulfite, hyposulfite, sulfite, gallic acid, pyrogallol, pyrocatechol, butylhydroxytoluene, adipic acid, ethanol, catechin, polygodial, proanthocyanidin, lemon juice, vanilla Inhibiting polyphenol oxidase activity with at least one substance selected from the group consisting of kiss, dried egg white, sodium caseinate, whey protein, rosemary extract, allyl isothiocyanate, polylysine, sodium salts thereof, and potassium salts thereof. Anti-tarnish agent for fruits and vegetables as an active ingredient of action. 3. The discoloration preventing agent for fruits and vegetables according to claim 1, wherein the discoloration preventing agent has a pH adjusted to an acidic range.