Effect of high hydrostatic pressure on immunomodulatory activity of cloudy apple juice

Present study investigated the effects of high hydrostatic pressure treatment (HHP, 500 MPa/3 min/ 25°C) on bioactive compound as well as antioxidant, immunomodulatory potentials, and microbial safety of cloudy juice from ‘Fuji’ apples. HHP did not cause any significant changes in vitamin C content whereas total polyphenol content was increased. The antioxidant potentials measured by DPPH and nitric oxide (NO) radical scavenging tests were preserved by HHP, while thermal treatment reduced antioxidant potentials. NO scavenging activity was greater than DPPH scavenging activity. The immunomodulatory effect assessed by splenocyte proliferation was increased in a dose-dependent manner, and HHP preserved immunomodulatory activity of apple juice. Furthermore, HHP treated juice was microbiologically safe without any physicochemical changes during 21 days of storage at 4°C. These results demonstrated the efficacy of HHP for preserving both nutritional and immunomodulatory functional characteristics of apple juice, and alternative method for preserving as freshly squeezed for up to 21 days.