Phytochemicals changes in the postharvest and frozen

process of durian ‘Mon Thong’

P. Boonyaritthongchai1,2,a, P. Jitareerat1, S. Sampanvejsobha3 and A. Uthairatanakij1
1Division of Postharvest Technology, King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi, Bangkok, Thailand;
2Postharvest Technology Innovation Center, King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi, Bangkok 10140,
Thailand; 3Learning Institute, King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi, Bangkok, Thailand.

Abstract
The processing steps of frozen durian include the preparations of the raw
material such as trimming, cutting and peeling followed by freezing. These processes
may have an effect on the nutrition and bioactive compounds in the fruit. The purpose
of this research is to gain the scientific data of the effects of the preparation and
freezing steps on the bioactive compound changes in durian produced in the south
and east of Thailand. The bioactive compounds were identified in fresh, fresh-cut and
frozen durian, these include vitamin E (α-tocopherol), β-carotene, flavonoids,
phenolic, ascorbic acid as well as the antioxidant activity of DPPH radical and FRAP
radical. Durian were collected from the southern and eastern part of Thailand. Fresh,
fresh-cut and frozen durian were sampled to measure the bioactive compound. For
the durian from southern area, the results showed that the content of β-carotene,
phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity of DPPH and FRAP radical scavenging
were higher in fresh-cut durian than fresh durian, while the content of vitamin C is
lower in fresh-cut durian. The freezing process increased the vitamin E content and
reduced the phenolic and vitamin C content, but it had no effect on the flavonoid
content. For the durian from eastern area, the results revealed that the fresh-cut
process increased the β-carotene content but it had no effect on the phenolic content
and the antioxidant activity of DPPH radical. The freezing process decreased the
vitamin C content, but it had no effect on the content of the flavonoid, vitamin E and
phenolic compounds and the antioxidant activity of DPPH and FRAP radical. The
content of bioactive compound of durian (from both the south and the east) were:
0.21-1.49 mg 100 g-1 of vitamin E, 8.17-29.89 µg 100 g-1 FW of β-carotene, 5.85-20.0
mg g-1 FW of vitamin C, 0.16-0.40 mg 100 g-1 FW of flavonoid, and 41.76-59.82 mg GAE
g-1 FW of phenolic compounds. The antioxidant activity of DPPH and FRAP radical was
461.88-834.37 µmol Trolox equiv. g-1 and 13.20-53.81 µmol Trolox equiv. g-1,
respectively. A comparison of the bioactive compound of durian from the south and
the east of Thailand revealed that the former contained a higher vitamin E, β-carotene,
and vitamin C content than the latter. On the other hand the flavonoids, phenolic, and
antioxidant activity of DPPH and FRAP radical were less in the former. The fresh-cut
and freezing process increased the bioactive compound and antioxidant activity,
except for vitamin C ,when compared with fresh durian and frozen durian.

Keywords: bioactive compound, fresh cut durian, frozen durian

INTRODUCTION
Durian (Durio zibethinus Murr.) known as the king of fruits is popular in many
countries including Thailand. In Thailand, durian is one of the fruits with the highest export
value. Durian is grown in abundance in the East and South of Thailand. There are many
different cultivars such as ‘Mon Thong’, ‘Kan Yao’ and ‘Chanee’. The importance of durian
fruit as a nutraceutical valued source can be correlated to their composition and presence of
bioactive antioxidant compounds (Arancibia-Avila et al., 2008; Haruenkit et al., 2010). The
a
E-mail: Panida.boo@kmutt.ac.th

Acta Hortic. 1208. ISHS 2018. DOI 10.17660/ActaHortic.2018.1208.58 423

Proc. II Asian Horticultural Congress
Eds.: Yongchen Du, M. Doi and Jung Eek Son
nutraceutical property of this fruit is mostly connected with its composition and antioxidant
properties (Arancibia-Avila et al., 2008; Toledo et al., 2008). It has been reported that durian
has additional valuable health properties: polysaccharide gel, extracted from the fruit hulls,
reacts on immune responses and it is responsible for cholesterol reduction. Ho and Bhat
(2015) presented composition and nutritional value information for durian mainly among
popular commercial cultivars. Information concerning some popular durian cultivars in
Thailand, mostly from the Rayong and Chantaburi provinces in the eastern region of the
country, have also been reported (Haruenkit et al., 2010). However, the database on durian
in the ASEAN food composition tables is limited, besides its consumption as a fresh fruit.
Durian is also processed into various products such as chips, french-fries, sugary cakes,
candies and a flavoring powder for ice cream, biscuits, and others including a main
ingredient of Thai cuisine recipes.
Pre-processed, fresh cut, minimally processed or ready-to-eat durian is almost the
same as fresh durian. Fresh-cut products are fruits or vegetables that have been trimmed,
peeled and/or cut into a fully usable product, which is subsequently packaged to offer
consumers high nutrition, convenience and good flavor while maintaining freshness.
Minimally processed durian is easier for people who have difficulty dehusking the fresh fruit.
Durian should be half-ripe before being dehusked. The durian aril with seeds intact is
removed from the locules and placed in a foam tray before being wrapped with plastic film
to prevent dehydration and water condensation inside the package.
Frozen durian is one of the most popular products at present. Frozen durian sellers
peel the thorny skin and take the flesh out in order to have it frozen. Durian can be frozen by
either contact freezing or individual quick freezing (IQF). The most efficient frozen method
at present is the individual quick freezing (IQF). The durian flesh is frozen at -40°C for 30-40
min and then stored at -20 to -25°C. Durian frozen by IQF can be kept for a year. The market
for chilled fresh-cut produce has witnessed a dramatic growth in recent years, stimulated
largely by the consumers demand for fresh, healthy, convenient and additive-free foods
which are safe and nutritious. Fresh cut and frozen durian has added value to the durian
products. In this research, durians collected from the south and the east of Thailand were
processed to fresh-cut and frozen durian and their phytochemicals changes and antioxidant
capacity were investigated.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Durian fruit preparation

Durian fruits were collected from the southern and the eastern part of Thailand. They
were separated into 3 groups following the diagram in Figure 1: No. 1 was fresh durian, No.
2 was fresh cut durian and No. 3 was frozen durian. Frozen durian was produced by
individual quick freezing (IQF). Three replicates of each treatment were used for analyses.
The antioxidant capacity and bioactive compounds were evaluated.

Figure 1. Process of durian separation.

Statistical analysis
The experiment was arranged in a completely randomized design (CRD). Analysis of
variance is used to compare more than two means, and Duncan’s multiple range tests will be
used for mean separation. Differences of P≤0.05 and P≤0.01 are considered significant.

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RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS
Bioactive compounds and antioxidant activities of the durian collected from the south
and east of Thailand were analyzed. The antioxidant property in plants is mainly derived
from the bioactive compounds such as carotenoids, phytosterols, as well as phenolic
compounds and vitamins C and E (Brewer, 2011). The results from Tables 1 and 2 showed
that fresh durian from the south and the east contained more vitamin C than fresh cut and
frozen durian. The report of Bonwick and Birch (2013) showed the same result in that fresh
raspberry and green pea contained more vitamin C than frozen raspberry and peas. The
vitamin E and beta-carotene content of durian collected from the south was higher than in
the east. The flavonoids, phenolic content and antioxidant capacity of durian from the east
was higher than the south. Phenolics are the most abundant compounds in plants, and many
studies have demonstrated a strong relationship between these compounds and antioxidant
activities (Chang et al., 2007). Ascorbic acid, phenolic compound, flavonoid and β-carotene
have proven to be effective at scavenging free radicals. The consumption of these bioactive
compounds provides beneficial effects on human health due to their antioxidant properties,
which protect against the oxidative damage to cells and thus prevents the development of
common degenerative diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular diseases, cataracts, diabetes,
Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s (Blanco-Ríos et al., 2013). Each durian from a different
plantation has its own unique health benefit depending upon its composition. Results
showed that durian planted at the eastern part of Thailand contained higher levels of
flavonoid, phenolic content and antioxidant capacity than durian collected from the
southern part of Thailand
The cutting or fresh-cut process is a stress condition which has been described to
promote the ascorbic acid deterioration. The ascorbic acid of fresh durian from the south
was 20.00±10.61 mg g-1 FW while from the east it was 8.41±2.07 mg g-1 FW. Both of them
gradually decreased after the fresh cut and freezing process respectively. The concentration
of ascorbic often decreases during the storage and processing of the fruit and vegetables.
The frozen process however did not affect the vitamin C content. Sahari et al. (2004 revealed
that the frozen process did not affect the vitamin C content in strawberry. The Beta-carotene,
phenolic and antioxidant capacity of the fresh cut and frozen durian was higher than that of
fresh durian. To maintain their quality, frozen foods must be held at temperatures less than -
18°C at all times. Freezing is one of the most common food preservation processes used for
the storage of foods. Fruit and vegetables are sources of a wide variety of micronutrients and
other bioactive compounds such as carotenoids and polyphenols (Watzl and Leitzmann,
2005). The fresh-cut and freezing process had no effect on the flavonoid content. The red
and yellow colors in the fruit peel and fruit flesh can be due to the carotenoids (Cazzonelli,
2011). Carotenoid consumption is important for your health. Major carotenoids found in the
pulp of ripe durian fruit were β-carotene and α-carotene. Minor carotenoids were lutein and
zeaxanthin (Wisutiamonkul et al., 2015). Humans convert α-carotene and β-carotene to
vitamin A, which is crucial for the vision of humans. Most carotenoids have antioxidant
properties and are free radical scavengers, (Paiva and Russell, 1999) and therefore might
protect against diseases (Mayne, 2003). Carotenoids have antimutagenic effects, at least in
vitro and in microorganisms (Arriaga-Alba et al., 2000).
The fresh-cut process induced the accumulation of phenolic content such as caffeic
acid, p-coumaric, and cinnamic in both areas. It has been reported that high levels of
phenolic and flavonoid compounds exhibit strong anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory
activities. This data could be useful for dietary assessment for further research and
development.

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α-Tocopherol Flavonoid β-carotene Phenolic acid Vitamin C DPPH (µmol FRAP (µmol
Table 1. Bioactive compound and antioxidant capacity of durian collected from the southern part of Thailand.

Samples
(mg 100 g-1) (mg 100 g-1 FW) (µg 100 g-1 FW) (mg GAE g-1 FW) (mg g-1 FW) Trolox equiv. g-1) Trolox equiv. g-1)
Fresh durian 0.46c±0.22 0.16±0.04 10.98b±3.05 41.76b±0.72 20.00a±10.61 461.88b±43.78 13.20b±0.52
Fresh-cut durian 1.04b±0.34 0.19±0.04 29.89a±23.04 50.03a±0.37 14.37b±2.15 596.36a±60.99 13.64a±0.10
Frozen durian 1.49a±0.33 0.21±0.05 15.92ab±4.24 42.73b±0.31 15.06b±2.38 469.49b±55.50 13.34b±0.17
F-test ** NS * ** * ** *
C.V. (%) 30.25 24.53 72.06 11.09 38.84 10.58 2.39

α-Tocopherol Flavonoid β-carotene Phenolic acid Vitamin C DPPH (µmol FRAP (µmol
Table 2. Bioactive compound and antioxidant capacity of durian collected from the eastern part of Thailand.

Samples
(mg 100 g-1) (mg 100 g-1 FW) (µg 100 g-1 FW) (mg GAE g-1 FW) (mg g-1 FW) Trolox equiv. g-1) Trolox equiv. g-1)
Fresh durian 0.21±0.01 0.40±0.11 9.64b±4.05 57.42±3.58 8.41a±2.07 834.37±132.14 46.97±8.31
Fresh-cut durian 0.29±0.09 0.34±0.09 14.4a±4.81 59.82±2.84 5.85b±1.92 827.05±75.83 45.56±5.08
Frozen durian 0.27±0.07 0.30±0.15 8.17b±1.31 60.37±4.72 6.30c±1.71 832.83±110.43 53.81±11.70
F-test NS NS ** NS * NS *
C.V. (%) 25.23 25.45 28.75 6.40 38.84 13.06 2.39

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CONCLUSION
Durian from the southern part of Thailand contained more α-tocopherol, β-carotene,
and vitamin C but the flavonoid, phenolic content and antioxidant capacity was lower than
durian from the east. The cutting and trimming process induced and accumulation of
phenolic content and antioxidant capacity. Frozen durian contained less phenolic compound
than fresh and fresh-cut durian. Fresh-cut and frozen durian contained less vitamin c than
fresh durian. The fresh-cut and frozen process did not affect the flavonoid content.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
We are grateful to Thailand Research Fund for financial support of this research.

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