Authors
Title
Abstract
The objective of the research study was to determine the effect of time and temperature of storage on the stability of folic acid and folates in fortified fruit and fruit-vegetable juices. The contents of folic acid and folates were determined in fresh juices and in juices stored for 3, 6, and 9 months at temperatures ranging between 20 and 22 °C and in juices stored in a refrigerator (5 to 7 °C). No significant losses of folic acid were reported in any of the analyzed juices that were stored for 3 months, irrespective of the storage temperature. The highest losses were reported in the juices having the lowest pH of 3.45 (clarified fruit juice) and 4.25 (fruit-vegetable puree type of juice) and stored for 9 months. In the juice samples analyzed, very low amounts of only one identified natural form of folates were determined, i.e. of 5-methyltetrahydrofolate (5CH3FH4). No significant losses of 5-methyltetrahydrofolate were found to occur in juices stored not longer than for 3 months at temperatures ranging from 20 to 22 °C; however, in the juices stored for 9 months, there were reported losses of this vitamin, especially in the juices stored at a room temperature.
Keywords
folic acid, folates, juices, storage, HPLC