ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY DURING STORAGE OF APPLES SUBJECTED TO IRRADIATION Atividade antioxidante durante o armazenamento de maçãs submetidas a irradiação

Nowadays, the number of studies about fruit conservation as well as the benefits of consumption of foods rich in antioxidant compounds was increased. This study aimed to quantify antioxidant compounds and their activity and to evaluate the physical and chemical changes during the post-harvest storage of Eva’s apple cultivars that were subjected to gamma irradiation at doses of 0; 0.5; 1.0 and 1.5 kGy. The antioxidant activity was measured by the 2.2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and the β-carotene/linolenic acid methods. Levels of total phenolics, ascorbic acid, color, and soluble solids were evaluated. The results showed that, regardless of the irradiation dose, there was an increase in % SRL during post-harvest storage of Eva’s apples. Low irradiation doses were able to preserve the phenolic compounds, maintain the ascorbic acid levels and avoid an increase in the soluble solids content. Index terms: Postharvest; storage; antioxidants; food quality. RESUM