Volatile compounds and antioxidant properties of pickled and dried mustard as influenced by different cooking methods

摘要

Pickled and dried mustard (PDM; Brassica juncea, Coss), a traditional fermented vegetable product, is very popular in China because of its typical aromatic flavor and great antioxidant activity. PDM is usually consumed after being cooked by various cooking methods. Here, we determined and compared the effects of four different common cooking methods (steaming, high-pressure steaming, boiling, and microwaving) with different cooking time on the volatile compounds and antioxidant properties of PDM. The gas chromatography-mass spectrometry results showed that steaming for 15min and high-pressure steaming for 5min significantly increased the concentration of volatile compounds of PDM while boiling and microwaving obviously decreased them. Moreover, high-pressure steaming best preserved the antioxidant activity, obtained from ABTS, DPPH, FRAP, and ORAC assays, as well as the total phenolic, flavonoid, and glucosinolate content of PDM. These findings provide insights into the beneficial effects of high-pressure steaming for 5min in cooking PDM.Practical applicationsOur findings showed that high-pressure steaming for short time (5min) was the best way to cook PDM because it could not only significantly increase volatile compounds of PDM but also had the preservation effects of antioxidant activity of PDM. By contrast, boiling and microwaving dramatically decreased the volatile compounds and antioxidant properties of PDM mainly because of leaching action. These findings provide useful information for food producers and consumers to optimize the processing and cooking of PDM products with better flavor and health-related characteristics.