PHYSICOCHEMICAL COMPOSITION AND SENSORY ANALYSIS OF WHOLE JUICE EXTRACTED FROM GRAPES IRRADIATED WITH ULTRAVIOLET C

ABSTRACT Grape juice has been widely studied due to the presence of phenolic compounds and its beneficial effects on human health. Ultraviolet irradiation C (UV-C) can increase the content of phenolic compounds and anthocyanins and contribute to sensory acceptability. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of different doses of ultraviolet irradiation C (UV-C) on ‘Trebbiano’, ‘Niagara Branca’, ‘Isabel’ and ‘Cabernet Sauvignon’ grapes, as well as effect of the storage period. Juices were elaborated and evaluated for physicochemical analyses, and for the sensorial analysis in irradiated samples. In ‘Niagara Branca’ and ‘Trebbiano’ cultivars, storage and irradiation promoted few physicochemical alterations, and sensorially, irradiation reduced the intensity of flavor and color attributes. In juices from ‘Isabel’ and ‘Cabernet Sauvignon’ cultivars, the storage period led to the concentration of sugars and irradiation influenced physicochemical parameters and increased the intensity of aroma attribute at dose of 2 kJ m-2. Thus, UV-C irradiation contributes little for the improvement of white grape juices; however, it favors some sensory attributes in red grape juice, requiring further studies to elucidate the influence of UV-C irradiation on the phenolic and volatile composition of grape juice.