Glucose oxidase an alternative in the preservation of beverages

Abstract

GOX has been widely used as a food additive due to its properties, however, there is no scientific literature reporting its effects on the preservation of beverages prepared from fruits. The objective of the research was to confirm the preservative potential of a GOX extract, to prevent browning in apple juice and advantage the production of hydrogen peroxide as antimicrobial in apple nectar. Four treatments were applied to the juice to determine the antioxidant activity of GOX; the first with an enzyme concentration of 64.5 mg/mL, the second with 129 mg/mL of the enzyme solution, the third with ascorbic acid (64.5 mg/mL) and a fourth without additive (control) and then the percentage of inhibition was determined. In the case of pasteurized natural nectar, without additives or glucose, an experiment was conducted under a factorial arrangement of two GOX concentrations (64.5mg/L and 129mg/L) and two temperatures (4°C and 37°C), evaluated in four storage times (0, 24, 48 and 72 hours), and the oxidizing potential of GOX was determined through the production of H₂O₂. An inhibitory effect of GOX on enzymatic browning was found in apple juice. In addition, the statistically significant effect between GOX concentration and incubation time on the production of hydrogen peroxide in the nectar was confirmed, corroborating the enzyme's potential as a preservative.