Effects of electron beam irradiation on the bioactive components of goji-berry

Abstract

The goji-berry (Lycium barbarum) is an oval-shaped orange-red fruit with a slightly sweet flavor. This berry has a high antioxidant potential and presents interesting nutritional and therapeutic properties. Irradiation is a safe method that has long used to reduce the microbiological contamination of dried and dehydrated food products. This study aimed to evaluate the irradiation effects on the bioactive compounds of goji berries by irradiating samples with an electron beam at doses of 2.5, 5.0, 7.5, and 10.0 kGy. The 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging activity and oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) were assessed by analyzing the hydroalcoholic extracts. The total phenolic compounds determined by the Folin-Ciocalteu assay. Doses up to 10.0 kGy did not significantly affect the antioxidant activity in the DPPH assay, and electron beam irradiation improved the total antioxidant activity of the samples in ORAC, as well as a total flavonoid and phenolics assays.