Effect of Processing Methods and Storage Time on the Content of Bioactive Compounds in Blue Honeysuckle Berry Purees

Abstract

In this study, we aimed to investigate the effect of processing methods and storage time on selected parameters of quality in the purees of blue honeysuckle berries. We investigated the content of bioactive compounds such as anthocyanins, L-ascorbic acid, and total polyphenols (TPs). We tested four processing methods and two varieties of blue honeysuckle berry (Lonicera caerulea L.var. Sineglaska and Volshebnica). The purees were analyzed immediately after production, and after two and four months of storage at 20 °C without exposure to light. According to our results, thermal treatment of the fruits for 5 min resulted in obtaining purees with a higher content of anthocyanins and TPs, but lower content of L-ascorbic acid. However, sieving fruits that were not thermally treated resulted in a higher content of L-ascorbic acid. Furthermore, purees prepared from the fruits of the Volshebnica cultivar were richer in bioactive compounds than that of purees prepared from the Sineglaska cultivar. In addition, the content of anthocyanins, L-ascorbic acid, and TPs decreased with storage time.