Degradation Kinetics of Green Color and Chlorophylls in Peas by Colorimetry and HPLC

The kinetics of chlorophyll degradation and visual green color loss in pureed green peas with 80% moisture (w/w) were determined at 70, 80 and 90 C. The –a value from a tristimulus colorimeter was chosen as the physical property and a technique based on fractional conversion was developed in the determination of kinetic parameters of visual green color loss. The degradation of chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b and greenness followed a first order reaction and the temperature dependence of these reactions indicated an Arrhenius relationship. The activation energies were 19.5, 17.1 and 18.2 kcal/mol, respectively.