A tetraazahydroxypyridinone derivative as inhibitor of apple juice enzymatic browning and oxidation

Enzymatic browning in fruits and vegetables can produce undesirable colour changes and adversely affect the taste, flavour, and nutritional value. This fact poses a challenge to the food industry to apply appropriate inhibitors to control enzymatic browning to maintain food quality. Accordingly, this study aims to evaluate the effect of small mazamacrocyclic compounds modified with a hydroxypyridinone similar to kojic acid on enzymatic browning, total polyphenols and antioxidant activity in apple juice. The results showed how these compounds interact with the tyrosinase enzyme in a complex interaction inhibiting its activity. The hydroxypyridinone attached to the macrocycle (I1) was crucial to induce the greatest inhibition, being the most powerful inhibitor. The kinetic studies of I1 reveal mixed-type inhibition over tyrosinase with an IC50 of 0.30 mM, which was much higher than the calculated IC50 for I2 and I3. Furthermore, I1 at a concentration of 2.25 mM, significantly reduced the enzymatic browning in fresh apple juice by more than 50% after 1 h under stirring. Also, it completely stops the decrease in the total phenolic content and delays loss of antioxidant capacity during the first 30 min.