Impact of pulsed electric field pretreatment on quality parameters of aronia and haskap berry juices

Puzović, Alema (author), Rinaldi, Massimiliano (author), Assaf, Neamtallah (author), Mikulič Petkovšek, Maja (author)

This study examined the effect of pulsed electric field pre-treatment at three intensities (1.78, 5.3, and 10.7 kJ/kg) on the yield and physicochemical properties of aronia and haskap juices. PEF significantly increased juice yield by 18.0% points in aronia (from 39.3% to 57.3%) and 30.6% points in haskap (from 29.2% to 59.8%) at 10.7 kJ/kg. Physicochemical properties were also affected: pH, total soluble solids, and viscosity increased, while both juices retained pseudoplastic flow behaviour. PEF induced significant colour changes, with total colour difference increasing progressively with treatment intensity. PEF enhanced sugar extractability, increasing total sugars from 169.4 to 210.0 g/L in aronia (mainly glucose and sorbitol) and from 115.2 to 142.1 g/L in haskap (mainly glucose and fructose). Organic acids increased by 26-27%, with higher citric, malic, and quinic acids. Phenolic compounds, especially anthocyanins, increased from 8.60 to 15.12 g/L in aronia and from 5.65 to 10.18 g/L in haskap, along with increases in flavonols and total phenolics. Correlation analysis revealed strong positive relationships between juice yield, sugar content, total acids, and phenolic compounds in aronia, while moderate positive correlations were observed between these parameters in haskap. Overall, PEF at 10.7 kJ/kg effectively improved yield and compositional quality of both aronia and haskap juice.

• Language: English
• Keywords: non-thermal processing, fruit juice, bioactive compounds, anthocyanins, extraction, berries
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: BF - Biotechnical Faculty
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2026
• Number of pages: 17 str.
• Numbering: Vol. 252, art. 150
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-181321
• UDC: 543
• ISSN on article: 1438-2377
• DOI: 10.1007/s00217-026-05081-0
• COBISS.SI-ID: 273811203
• Publication date in RUL: 01.04.2026

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: European Food Research and Technology : Zeitschrift für Lebensmittel-Untersuchung und -Forschung
• Publisher: Springer
• ISSN: 1438-2377
• COBISS.SI-ID: 21013765

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: sadni sokovi, jagodičevje, bioaktivne snovi, antocianini, ekstrakcija, netermična obdelava

Projects

• Funder: EC - European Commission
• Funding programme: Horizon 2020
• Project number: 956257
• Name: Establishing a strong and lasting international training network for innovation in food and juice industries: a 4D-research approach for fruit juice processing
• Acronym: HiStabJuice

• Funder: ARIS - Slovenian Research and Innovation Agency
• Project number: P4-0013
• Name: Hortikultura