The influence of processing technique on the catecholamine and indolamine contents of fruits

The aim of fruit processing is to give products suitable organoleptic characteristics, remove impurities and increase the digestibility of certain ingredients. Currently used food processing operations lead to loss of nutrients. The extent and nature of these losses depend on the product type and the conditions of its processing. This study determined the relationship between various thermal processes used in fruit processing (drying, boiling, pasteurization, freezing) and the corresponding changes in the contents of selected biogenic amines (dopamine, tyramine, serotonin) and their derivatives that are produced within the plant during its growth. Analyte contents were determined using reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography with a fluorescence detector (FL). None of the biogenic amines were shown to possess thermostable character. Cooking processes decreased the amine content by 18% (tyramine) to over 27% (serotonin). Juice and nectar pasteurization reduced catecholamine contents up to 60%. Freezing had the least impact on amine content and decreased the serotonin content in orange sorbet by only 5%. The process with the greatest influence on the biogenic amine content was boiling, where the temperature used was the highest and the process time was the longest.