Overall quality and antioxidant enzymes of ready‐to‐eat ‘Purple Queen’ pomegranate arils during cold storage

This study evaluated the effectiveness of two different packaging systems, using micro-perforated (MPP) and semipermeable (SP) films, on the physico-chemical and nutraceutical traits, microbial quality, and antioxidant enzymatic system of ready-to-eat pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) arils (cultivar ‘Purple Queen’) stored at 5 °C for 16 d. Statistically significant differences in gas composition and arils qualitative traits such as pH and titratable acidity between the two packaging systems were found. Arils packaged in the SP system had higher polyphenols and anthocyanins contents, followed by a high antioxidant activity, with a positive correlation (r=0.610 and 0.940, respectively) among them. An increase in the activities of antioxidant enzymes, such as superoxide dismutase, catalase, and ascorbate peroxidase, were registered in the arils in the SP system, with a decrease in polyphenol oxidase and peroxidase activity involved in arils-browning. Overall, SP packaging could be a valid system to preserve ready-to-eat arils within food chains that maintain high qualitative and nutraceutical features up to 16 d of storage.