Effects of high‐hydrostatic pressure and high‐pressure homogenization on the biological activity of cabbage dietary fiber

BACKGROUND Cabbage is one of the most economical cooked vegetables in terms of its relatively low price and high nutritional value. It is rich in dietary fiber, multivitamins, and a variety of anti‐oxidants. In this study, we compared the effects of high‐hydrostatic pressure (HHP) and high‐pressure homogenization (HPH) treatments on changes in composition and physiological functions of cabbage dietary fiber. RESULTS The total dietary fiber content (36.06 ± 1.65%) and nitrite ion adsorption capacity (2.37 ± 0.01 μmol·g−1) of HHP‐treated cabbage powder were higher than those of untreated cabbage powder. The soluble dietary fiber content (36.18 ± 0.89%) and the emulsifying activity (36.18 ± 0.89%) and emulsifying stability (47.88 ± 4.35%) of HPH‐treated cabbage powder were higher than those of untreated cabbage powders. The significant reduction in particle size induced by the high‐pressure treatments caused differences in the properties of the treated and untreated cabbage powder samples. Scanning electronic microscopy analysis revealed that the microstructure of the HPH‐treated cabbage powder changed from patches to fine granules with concave‐convex markings on the surface, and that the surface area was significantly higher than that of the untreated cabbage powder. The high‐pressure‐treated cabbage powder has good homogeneity sensory properties after rehydration. Moreover, the changes in the properties of cabbage powder induced by the high‐pressure treatments caused the cholesterol adsorption capacity and glucose dialysis retardation index of the treated cabbage powders to be higher than those of the untreated cabbage powder. CONCLUSION In summary, high‐pressure processing and micronization of cabbage can render it a multifunctional source of dietary fiber. We believe that this study provides a new method for processing and using leftover vegetables. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.