Effects of heat treatment on the quality of fresh-cut Chinese water chestnut

A heat treatment to inhibit browning and maintain the quality of fresh-cut Chinese water chestnut was developed. Slices of Chinese water chestnut, cv. Guilin, were immersed in boiling water for 30 s, placed into film-wrapped trays and then stored at 4 °C for up to 12 days. Changes in browning, eating quality and disease incidence were measured. The effect of heat treatment on the content of total phenolics and activities of phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL), polyphenol oxidase (PPO) and peroxidase (POD) was also evaluated. The heat treatment effectively prevented browning associated with PAL, PPO and POD activities and total phenolic content and delayed the decrease in eating quality, which is associated with reduced total soluble solids, titratable acidity and ascorbic acid, compared with fresh-cut Chinese water chestnut. Inhibition of browning by heat treatment without microbial growth was achieved for 12 days of storage at 4 °C. These results showed that heat treatment effectively maintained the quality of fresh-cut Chinese water chestnut.