Effect of gamma irradiation on total phenolic contents and antioxidant activities of methanolic extract of java plum seeds

Abstract

The synthetic antioxidant butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) has been widely added to lipids and food products as a preservative due to inhibiting lipid oxidation. However, concerns have arisen about the potential health impacts of this synthetic antioxidant on consumers. Therefore, there is a need for an alternative substitute for BHA that is safe for human health. The methanolic extract of Java Plum seeds (MEJS) contains a diverse group of phenolic compounds and has the potential to serve as a natural antioxidant. The antioxidant must remain stable during food processing, such as irradiation. This research aimed to determine the effect of γ-irradiation on the total phenolic content and antioxidant activity of MEJS. When γ-irradiation was applied to MEJS at doses up to 12.5 kGy, there was a slight decrease in total phenolic and tannin content but a significant increase in total flavonoid content. This increase in total flavonoids led to a rise in both free radical scavenging and reducing power activities