Impact of Slow Freezing on Nutritional Value and Antioxidant Properties in Selected Vegetables and Fruits: A Comparative Study on Peas, Corn, and Figs.

Abstract

The results of this study reveal the effect of slow freezing on the micronutrients related to the nutritional value of peas, corn, and figs, showing a clear variation between the loss and increase in the levels of these compounds, with statistically significant differences observed among the samples. Regarding Vitamin C, the highest non-significant loss was recorded in peas, while corn showed a significant decrease of 6%, and figs exhibited the least loss, with only a 3% reduction. In contrast, the content of Vitamin A increased in the frozen samples, doubling in peas, increasing by 2.4 times in corn, and 3.5 times in figs. The antioxidant activity (DPPH) also increased by 4.4% in peas, 6% in corn, and 11% in figs, reflecting the efficiency of figs in preserving phenolic compounds due to their richness in sugars and natural antioxidants. As for starch, it decreased by 10% in peas and 8.1% in corn, while no significant change was observed in figs. Similarly, the total amino acids decreased by 15% in peas and 9.4% in corn, due to the leakage of soluble components from damaged cells. In terms of food safety, the levels of nitrates and nitrites remained stable, with no nitrites detected (less than 1 mg/kg) in all samples, confirming the absence of microbial contamination in the product.