Bioactive compound retention in frozen red and yellow Strawberry guava pulps added with L-Ascorbic acid

Abstract Brazil presents a great variety of native fruits, which have aroused commercial interest, such as the strawberry guava. In this sense, many researches have looked for alternatives that allow postharvest availability of fruits, considering that perishability is a limiting factor for its commercialization. The freezing process is an important alternative in the sense of making these fruits available for longer on the market. The use of L-ascorbic acid is a potent protective agent in the stability of bioactive compounds in fruit pulps. The objective of this study was to evaluate potentially bioactive compounds present in red and yellow strawberry guava pulps added with L-ascorbic acid (1% m / m) and verify its effect on retention of these compounds and in its antioxidant activity during the frozen storage (-20 ± 2ºC). In the pulps were analyzed: antioxidant activity by the capture of the DPPH° and ABTS° radicals, phenols, anthocyanins and total carotenoids. L-ascorbic acid positively influences the retention of bioactive compounds (total phenols, total anthocyanins and total carotenoids) in red and yellow strawberry guava pulps during 120 days of frozen storage (-20 ± 2 ºC).