Gamma irradiation and subsequent storage reduce patulin content in apple juice

Patulin has been reported as a risk factor in various foods, especially apple juice. This study monitored residual patulin and polyphenolic content in apple juice during post-irradiation storage conditions. Response surface methodology (RSM) was applied to monitor the changes in dependent variables (Yn, patulin, and polyphenolics) as affected by independent variables, such as storage temperature (Xi, −20°C to 20°C), irradiation dose (Xii, 0-2 kGy), and storage period (Xiii, 0-20 days), which were based on a central composite design. The predicted peak point resulted in the lowest residual patulin content of 58.42 ppb with the corresponding independent parameter conditions, such as 18.19°C of storage temperature, 1.24 kGy of irradiation dose, and 13.42 days of storage period. The residual patulin content of 58.42 ppb is the minimum desirable level, representing a 91% reduction compared to the non-irradiated control (675.00 ppb). A maximum polyphenolics content (11.98 mg/g) was obtained under the predicted maximum conditions of 14.40°C, 0.78 kGy, and 3.4 days. The most influential parameter in reducing residual patulin content while maintaining polyphenolic content in apple juice was irradiation dose (p<0.01), which showed potential to be applied in controlling the patulin levels in apple juice.