Effects of acidified blanching water and pectinase enzyme pretreatments on physicochemical properties and antioxidant capacity of Carica papaya juice

The high pectin content in papaya (Carica papaya) causes the juice extraction to be difficult and results in a low yield. This study aims to determine the effect of acidified blanching water and pectinase enzyme pretreatments on the yield, physicochemical properties, and antioxidant activities of the papaya juice. For acidified blanching treatment, papaya cubes (3 cm3) were blanched in water containing 0%, 0.5%, 1.5%, and 2.5% w/v citric acid at 95℃ for 2 min. For enzyme treatment, a pectinase enzyme (10, 20, and 30 ppm) was added to the homogenous papaya puree and incubated at 45℃ (200 rpm) for 60 min. The enzyme reaction was stopped by pasteurization at 74℃ for 2 min. The puree was filtered, and the juice was pasteurized at 74℃ for 7 min. All pretreated papaya juice were analyzed for physicochemical properties (color, clarity, viscosity, pH, total soluble solids [TSSs], total carotenoid content, total phenolic content [TPC], and total flavonoid content [TFC]), and antioxidant activities (2,2‐diphenyl‐1‐picrylhydrazyl [DPPH] and ferric reducing antioxidant power [FRAP] assay). Both pretreatments improved the clarity of papaya juice, and was significantly greater after pretreatment with pectinase enzyme. The TPC and antioxidant activities of papaya juice were conserved and maintained by acidified blanching at 1.5% (w/v) citric acid. Increased concentrations of pectinase enzyme significantly reduced the TPC and total carotenoid content. Pretreatment with pectinase enzyme up to 20 ppm does not significantly reduce the TFC and antioxidant activities. Acidified blanching and pectinase enzyme pretreatments have an impact on extraction of papaya fruit juice while retaining the nutritional composition of the juice. Practical Application Papaya (Carica papaya) is a fruit with great nutritional values but is highly perishable and prone to postharvest loss. Juice has become a more cost‐effective and convenient option for preserving the fruit. However, since papaya is a pectin‐rich fruit, the extraction of juice using mechanical pressing is difficult due to the bonding of juice to the pulp in the form of a jellied mass, which results in juice with low yield. Using acidified blanching and pectinase enzyme to clarify the juice not only increases the yield but also retains the nutrient composition of the juice.