CHANGES IN ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY AND CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF APPLE FILLLINGS AFTER THERMAL PROCESSING AND 6-MONTH STORAGE

The goal of the study was to determine the effect of thermal treatment and 6-months storage on antioxidant activity and chemical composition of heat-stable apple fillings. The aim was fully accomplished by analyzing apple fillings prepared in laboratory conditions under atmospheric pressure from aseptic apple puree (45 %) in a wide range of soluble solids and with different amounts of inulin and pectin according to the planned 2k factorial design with added central point. A correlation between antioxidant capacity evaluated by 2.2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazil radical (DPPH٠) assay and other chemical parameters of apple fillings such as water activity, pH, total polyphenols, 5-hydroxymethylfurfural content and non-enzymatic browning index were reported in the study. Antioxidant activity and the total polyphenols were directly correlated with each other (p<0.05) and manifested a decrease with increasing the total soluble solids content of apple fillings.