5. Conclusion
Colour and general appearance of fresh cut artichokes were
affected by pH of l-cysteine hydrochloride monohydrate pretreatment
solutions. An increase of yellow colour was observed in
all l-cysteine-treated artichokes, which was more visible at low
pH values. Also in these conditions, a lower general appearance
was observed. On the contrary, fresh-cut artichokes treated with
l-cysteine at pH 7 showed best appearance and lowest changes in
colour attributes, due to the higher inhibition of PPO activity. Acidic
conditions (pH 2 and pH 3) only led to a temporary inhibition effect
on PPO, which did not avoid undesirable colour changes on cut surfaces.
These results may represent an important step in prevention
of browning of fresh-cut artichokes.