The influence of UV radiation on the property change of plant materials and their storability: A review

Abstract

The review presents the analysis of effects of different ranges of ultraviolet (UV) radiation on physicochemical and organoleptic properties of certain types of fruits, vegetables, and mushrooms, as well as on changes in their storability. It provides the results of experimental studies and information from patent descriptions demonstrating significant changes in the properties and composition of plant objects after UV-treatment: an increase in the concentration of phenolic compounds, anthocyanins, quercetin glycosides, chlorogenic and ascorbic acids, and an increased antioxidant activity. Available data allow us to conclude on the efficiency of applying UV radiation, both as an independent type of product treatment during storage and processing of plant raw materials, and as part of combined methods using other physical processing techniques (microwave radiation, fast electron processing, γ-radiation, sonication, thermal treatment, etc.). The effectiveness of UV radiation significantly depends on its range and processing modes. UV radiation, along with the sterilizing effect, has a thermal effect on the treated objects. This means that a long-term exposure to UV radiation causes significant heating, which must be taken into account when processing plant objects having a temperature below the ambient one as it can potentially amend their storability. The review discusses the issues of choosing optimal UV treatment modes (radiation dose and processing time) that improve storability of fruits, vegetables, mushrooms and other plant species while preserving their physicochemical and organoleptic quality parameters. In conclusion, the efficiency of the radiation dose is determined by the radiation power flux density, parameters of radiation sources and their location relative to the processed objects. Determination of the optimal conditions (radiation dose and processing time) of UV treatment of plant raw materials, depending on the goals, is an important scientific and technological task.