CB22 - Comparing Antioxidant Capacity in Strawberries under various cold storage conditions through a DPPH Assay
SCURS Disciplines
Biology
Document Type
General Poster
Invited Presentation Choice
Not Applicable
Abstract
Strawberries are widely recognized for their high antioxidant capacity due to their abundance of phenolic compounds, flavonoids, and anthocyanins. These bioactive compounds contribute to the fruit’s ability to scavenge free radicals and reduce oxidative stress. Previous studies have demonstrated that storage temperature can influence the stability and concentration of these antioxidant compounds. Refrigeration and freezing have been reported to slow enzymatic degradation and oxidative reactions that may otherwise reduce antioxidant activity at higher temperatures. However, findings across studies are not entirely consistent, as some research suggests that moderate storage temperatures can maintain or even increase measurable antioxidant capacity due to stress-induced phenolic accumulation. The present study sought to determine under what cold temperature storage strawberries have the greatest antioxidant capacity. The hypothesis was that the colder temperature conditions would result in a higher antioxidant capacity. Antioxidant capacity was tested under the following cold storage conditions: room temperature (25°C), fridge temperature (8°C), freezer temperature (-18°C), and dry ice temperature (-78.5°C). Strawberries were stored for 24 hours under each cold storage condition. Then antioxidants were extracted from strawberries and centrifuged for 15 minutes at 6,000rpm. With the supernatant, a colorimetric assay was performed utilizing 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and a spectrometer set to 517nm to quantify absorbance. Then antioxidant capacity was calculated against the control DPPH. The results indicated an antioxidant capacity of 92.55% at room temperature, 91.53% at fridge temperature, 86.71% at freezer temperature, and 90.16% at dry ice temperature. After performing statistical analysis, the data demonstrated no statistical significance (p > 0.05). The findings of this study indicate that antioxidant capacity does not significantly differ across the tested temperature conditions, suggesting that antioxidant activity in strawberries remains relatively stable despite variations in storage temperature. These results imply that commonly available forms of strawberries, including fresh and frozen products, retain comparable antioxidant potential.
Keywords
antioxidant capacity, strawberries, DPPH Assay
Start Date
10-4-2026 9:30 AM
Location
University Readiness Center Greatroom
End Date
10-4-2026 11:30 AM
CB22 - Comparing Antioxidant Capacity in Strawberries under various cold storage conditions through a DPPH Assay
University Readiness Center Greatroom
Strawberries are widely recognized for their high antioxidant capacity due to their abundance of phenolic compounds, flavonoids, and anthocyanins. These bioactive compounds contribute to the fruit’s ability to scavenge free radicals and reduce oxidative stress. Previous studies have demonstrated that storage temperature can influence the stability and concentration of these antioxidant compounds. Refrigeration and freezing have been reported to slow enzymatic degradation and oxidative reactions that may otherwise reduce antioxidant activity at higher temperatures. However, findings across studies are not entirely consistent, as some research suggests that moderate storage temperatures can maintain or even increase measurable antioxidant capacity due to stress-induced phenolic accumulation. The present study sought to determine under what cold temperature storage strawberries have the greatest antioxidant capacity. The hypothesis was that the colder temperature conditions would result in a higher antioxidant capacity. Antioxidant capacity was tested under the following cold storage conditions: room temperature (25°C), fridge temperature (8°C), freezer temperature (-18°C), and dry ice temperature (-78.5°C). Strawberries were stored for 24 hours under each cold storage condition. Then antioxidants were extracted from strawberries and centrifuged for 15 minutes at 6,000rpm. With the supernatant, a colorimetric assay was performed utilizing 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and a spectrometer set to 517nm to quantify absorbance. Then antioxidant capacity was calculated against the control DPPH. The results indicated an antioxidant capacity of 92.55% at room temperature, 91.53% at fridge temperature, 86.71% at freezer temperature, and 90.16% at dry ice temperature. After performing statistical analysis, the data demonstrated no statistical significance (p > 0.05). The findings of this study indicate that antioxidant capacity does not significantly differ across the tested temperature conditions, suggesting that antioxidant activity in strawberries remains relatively stable despite variations in storage temperature. These results imply that commonly available forms of strawberries, including fresh and frozen products, retain comparable antioxidant potential.