Degradation kinetics of anthocyanins in acerola pulp: Comparison between ohmic and conventional heat treatment

► Anthocyanin degradation kinetics during ohmic and conventional heating was evaluated. ► The rate constants of the first-order model ranged from 5.9 to 19.7×10−3min−1. ► Both heating technologies showed activation energy of 74.8kJmol−1. ► All thermodynamic parameters were similar for ohmic and conventional heating. ► The results indicate similar mechanisms of degradation during both thermal treatments. Degradation kinetics of monomeric anthocyanins in acerola pulp during thermal treatment by ohmic and conventional heating was evaluated at different temperatures (75–90°C). Anthocyanin degradation fitted a first-order reaction model and the rate constants ranged from 5.9 to 19.7×10−3min−1. There were no significant differences between the rate constants of the ohmic and the conventional heating processes at all evaluated temperatures. D-Values ranged from 116.7 to 374.5 for ohmic heating and from 134.9 to 390.4 for conventional heating. Values of the free energy of inactivation were within the range of 100.19 and 101.35kJmol−1. The enthalpy of activation presented values between 71.79 and 71.94kJmol−1 and the entropy of activation ranged from −80.15 to −82.63Jmol−1K−1. Both heating technologies showed activation energy of 74.8kJmol−1 and close values for all thermodynamic parameters, indicating similar mechanisms of degradation.