Inhibition Effect of Mace Extract Microemulsion on Vitamin C Photooxidation in Aqueous Systems

Abstract

Photooxidation in food systems cause nutritional losses and produces undesirable flavor, toxic and color compounds, which make foods less acceptable or unacceptable to consumers. The objective of this research was to know the effectiveness of mace extract microemulsion to inhibit vitamin C photooxidation in aqueous systems. Aqueous food systems used are both beverage model system and apple juice beverage, where in each system enriched by 100 ppm vitamin C as substrate and 20 ppm erytrosin as photosensitiser. It is about one percent and two percent of microemulsion that contain mace extract of 0, 500 and 750 ppm were added into each of aqueous food system. Inhibition effect of mace extract microemulsion toward vitamin C photooxidation based on the rate of vitamin C degradation in aqueous food systems that illuminated by fluorescent light with 2000 lux intensity within eight hours. The result indicated the mace extract microemulsion has anti-photooxidation activity and ability to inhibit vitamin C photooxidation in aqueous systems.