Chromatic Techniques to Evaluate Inhibition of Enzymatic Browning in Avocado Puree

The aim of this study was to evaluate the color changes in avocado puree by Computer Vision System analysis as a useful parameter to determine inhibitory behavior of lyophilized avocado seed, fresh seed, seed coat and citric acid on enzymatic browning during storage at room temperature and cooling. Enzymatic browning can be an undesirable phenomenon in many fruits and vegetables producing color alterations. These can reduce commercial value of food products, or even make them unacceptable to consumers. Following up this reaction through low cost and easy to use technological tools is very important to avoid quality losses. In this research study, different samples of avocado puree were prepared and analyzed under cooling and room storage. Color changes were analyzed using the CIEL*a*b, h° and C* coordinates and Color Index (CI) was calculated. For both storage conditions, L* value decreased for control and sample with citric acid added and CCI calculated did not show significant differences among analyzed samples. However, a maximum CIC value was obtained for the sample treated with citric acid and a minimum for the sample with lyophilized seed, which might give indications of inhibitory action of seed, independently of storage conditions. Through use of chromatic techniques, it was possible to follow color variations in avocado puree effectively.