PREVENTING THE BROWNING

OF SLICED FRUIT

In Partial Fulfillment
Of the Requirement for the
Science Subject

QUIAMJOT. ANGEL ZCARINA

FERNANDEZ, KIM ANGELA P.
MONTEMAYOR, KYLE CLARENCE R.
BATO, ZYMON
ORUBIA, RACHEL
STUDENT

March 2017
 ABSTRACT

Title : Preventing the Browning of Sliced Fruit

Researchers : Angel Zczrina L. Quiamjot

Kim Angela P. Fernandez
Rachel Orubia
Kyle Clarence R. Montemayor
Zymon Josh Bato

Grade & Section : Grade 10-Carmel

Date of Completion: March 2017

This study employed the descriptive research design method in

conducting research study. This was done in order to determine the main

objective of the study which was to determine the Preventing the

Crowning of Sliced Fruit. Specifically, the study sought to investigate if the

demographic profile of the respondents. Identify significant difference

between the level of Preventing the Browning of Sliced Fruit with the use

of Lemon extract;
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

TITLE PAGE i
ABSTRACT ii
TABLE OF CONTENTS iii

Chapter
1 Introduction

Background of the Study 1

Statement of the Problem 3
Hypothesis 4
Significance of the Study 4
Scope and Delimitation of the Study 7
Definition of Terms 7

2 REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND

CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK 8

3 METHODOLOGY 12
Subject of the Study
Procedure
Statistical Treatment

4 Results and Discussion 13

5 Summary, Conclusion, and Recommendation 14

BIBLIOGRAPHY
APPENDICES

Letter and other Documents

Questionnaires
Curriculum Vitae
 CHAPTER 1

THE PROBLEM AND ITS SETTING

Background of the Study

Preventing is about keeping something from happening or arising. It is

also keeping a certain phenomena or scenario to not occur. In our everyday,

preventing is not a rare thing anymore because we almost do it most of the

time. For example, preventing the people we dont want to meet or preventing

to eat food we are not allowed to ingest and many more. For this lesson what

we are preventing is how to avoid sliced produce from turning brown, but

have you ever wondered why this produce turns brown, it is because of when

a produce is cut or bruised, oxygen is introduced into the injured plant tissue.

When oxygen is present in cells, polyphenol oxidase enzymes in the

chloroplasts rapidly oxidize phenolic compounds naturally present in the

produce tissues to o-quinones, colorless precursors to brown-colored

secondary products.

Many people use a lemon or citrus to keep sliced fruit like apple, or

pears from browning. But it turns out a mixture of honey and water is much

better and keeps your fruit fresher longer. The steps is pretty simple just soak

the apple, pears, or other fruit you dont want to turn brown for 30 seconds in

a mixture of 2 tablespoons of honey and 1 cup of water. Your fruit will stay
fresh and bright for up to 8 hours, perfect if you need to slice now and serve

later. (Alan Henry, 2013)

In addition brown fruit is just not appealing. Even though it might not

taste any different, we eat with our eyes. Children especially eat with their

eyes. If they are on the edge about eating a piece of fruit, if it is brown then

there is no way they will want to eat it. The great thing is there are a lot of

different solutions to prevent sliced fruit from turning brown, but I chose

apples as my sliced fruit because they are commonly used and definitely go

brown fast.

According to (Rebeccah Marsters,, 2013) there are some quick tips for

us to follow on how to prevent fruit from browning. First, you need to put 2

tablespoon of honey in a container with a cup of water then put the sliced

apple, pears or any other fruit that you want to prevent in turning brown. All

you need to do is just wait for 5 minutes then you can see if the process that

youve followed will work.

Moreover, there are four different solutions to test the effectiveness of

how a produce can be prevented from turning brown. The first option is

Lemon Juice, to make a lemon juice solution you will mix 1 tablespoon of

lemon juice per 1 cup of water. You can also use other citrus juices like

pineapple, or orange for a different flavor. Second is Citric Acid, this is usually

found by the canning supplies and is used to prevent browning in your

canned goods or increase the acidity of certain foods when canning. You will
dissolve 3 tsp of citric acid in 1 cup of water. Then the third option is Soda

Water, you can find this in stores and it is called Club Soda, or Soda Water.

And lastly, Plain Cold Water. The criteria that was used to determine which

method was the best were the appearance, flavor, and texture. The best way

to prevent browning is to soak the cut fruit in a saltwater solution 1/2 teaspoon

kosher salt per cup of water for 10 minutes; then drain and store until ready to

use. The mild salt flavor can be rinsed off with tap water before serving the

best part is that even after rinsing, the browning is still just as effectively

reduced.

This research is all about the observation of why do sliced produced

turns brown. In this study you will know what factors affects the produce that

makes its outer expose layer brown. We will also show some simple remedies

to slow down the ripening of the fruits. In this study you will know the step by

step on how to prevent fruit sliced.

Statement of the Problem

The main objective of this study is to observe the slowing down of

browning of a sliced produce.

1. What is the components of the lemon to prevent the browning of a

sliced fruit?

2. What makes lemon different from salt?

 3. What is time period of a fruit if you soaked it in the extract of a lemon?

4. Can lemon strengthen the color of the product?

5. Can salt be the substitute to prevent the browning of a sliced fruit?

General Problem

1. Can honey and lemon juice truly slow down the ripening of sliced or

chopped produce?

2. Would the honey and lemon juice affect the taste of the preserved

produce?

Hypothesis

Based on our research the extract of a lemon can prevent the

browning of sliced fruit. Based on our experiment we tested the thing that can

attest how it take long if we put the extract of that thing which is the lemon

and salt. We also look for their difference of which one will work. We tried this

two things in the different container and wait for one hour to prove which one

will attain its freshness.

After we wait for about an hour, we looked at those two different

containers which is the lemon with apple and apple with salt and we proved

that when an apple is put on saltwater, its outer surfaces will easily turn brown

but when it is put into water with lemon, it does not easily turns brown but
instead stays the same for about an hour. So we proved that lemon is more

effective to prevent the turning of brown of sliced fruit.

Behind these experiments lies an explanation, Lemon juice helps keep

the apple from browning, because it is full of ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) and it

has a low (acidic) pH level. Ascorbic acid works because oxygen will react

with it before it will react with the polyphenol oxidase. However, once the

ascorbic acid gets used up, the oxygen will start reacting with the enzyme and

browning will occur. Lemon juice's low pH level also helps prevent browning.

Polyphenol oxidase works best when the pH level is between 5.0 and 7.0.

However, below a pH level of 3.0, the enzyme becomes inactivated. The pH

of lemon juice is in the 2.0 range, making it very effective against browning.

Significance of the study

The importance of this study is to help other people on how to solve

simple daily problems just like preventing sliced produced on browning. The

results of this study are to give convenience and easier life style.

Humans. Based on our research these people can take advantage on the

results of this research because they could have another chance for them to

eat fruits that has already turned brown through the use of lemon which we

use, and this method is already proven, we, the people of the country are also

the one who can benefit from this research.

Scope and delimitation of the study

This study is limited only for those people that used to cut a fruits like

an apple because it can help them to prevent the browning of their fruit and it

wont be wasted because they can still eat them.

This study will examine a person who likes to cut a fruits to prevent the

browning with the use of lemon, salt and calamansi. The researchers believed

that this study will benefit a person who wants to prevent the browning of their

unripe fruits.

Definition of terms

Prevention- the act of preventing; effectual hindrance. The action of stopping

something from happening or arising.

Browning - it is the process of turning into brown color of a certain thing.

Soaked - extremely wet; saturated.

Extract - remove or take out, especially by effort or force.

Ripening - become or make ripe.

Fruit - the sweet and fleshy product of a tree or other plant that contains

seed and can be eaten as food.

Citrus - a tree of a genus that includes citron, lemon, lime, orange, and

grapefruit. Native to Asia, citrus trees are widely cultivated in warm countries

for their fruit, which has juicy flesh and a pulpy rind.

Salt - a white crystalline substance that gives seawater its characteristic

taste and is used for seasoning or preserving food.

Components- a part or element of a larger whole, especially a part of a

machine or vehicle.

Effectiveness- the degree to which something is successful in producing a

desired result; success.

Fresh - recently made or obtained; not canned, frozen, or otherwise

preserved. Not previously known or used; new or different.

Benefit - an advantage or profit gained from something. A payment or gift

made by an employer, the state, or an insurance company.

Prove - demonstrate the truth or existence of (something) by evidence

or argument.

Use - take, hold, or deploy (something) as a means of accomplishing a

purpose or achieving a result; employ.

Result - a consequence, effect, or outcome of something.

 CHAPTER 2

REVIEW AND RELATED LITERATURE

Apples are one of many fruits that contain a large amount of an

enzyme called polyphenol oxidase. As its name suggests, it is capable of

oxidizing polyphenols, molecules that play a variety of roles in plants, from

protecting against infections to giving them their pigments. Polyphenol

oxydase and the polyphenols themselves are stored in separate areas of the

plant's cells, but when the cells are damagedsay, by slicing open an apple

or dropping and bruising itthe cells are ruptured and the enzyme comes into

contact with its prey...er...I mean substrate. With the help of oxygen, which is

in the air around the damaged cells, the polyphenol oxidase initiates a series

of chemical reactions, transforming the polyphenols and eventually producing

melanins: brown pigments.

Browning of fruit is caused by three separate chemicals, including

phenols, enzymes and oxygen. When an apple is cut and the inside is

exposed, the cells are broken open and the phenols and enzymes begin to

react with one another and with oxygen. The result is a brown chemical.
Lemon juice is the strongest edible acid available that can stop the action of

the enzymes. Apples can also be coated with mayonnaise or salad dressing

to block out the oxygen, which will also stop the browning process.

Once added to sliced apples, the ascorbic acid, or vitamin C, in lemon

juice creates a barrier between the oxygen and the polyphenol oxidase. Until

the lemon juice has evaporated or been completely absorbed, the oxygen

reacts with the ascorbic acid, preventing the apple from turning brown. The

more acidic a substance is, the more capable it is of preventing apples from

turning brown during preparation.

Using the acid in lemon juice to prevent apples and other fruit from

darkening is a useful aid when preparing desserts of all kinds, from pies and

breads to cakes and cobblers. While the browning of fruit is not in itself

harmful, it detracts from the apples' visual quality and affects their

appearance. Untreated fruit may also cause a change in the consistency or

flavor of a baked good or dessert, as the brown color indicates that the

tissues and sugars in the apple have started breaking down, which can lead

quickly to spoilage.

A lot of people will tell you to squeeze some lemon juice in the water

first, which acidulates it; lemon contains ascorbic acid, which not only lowers

pH (along with the citric acid also found in lemons) but can also reverse the

oxidation reaction through a process chemists call reduction. In my tests, I did

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (more or less equivalent to the juice of an

average lemon) per quart of water.

Several other ways to keep apples fresh and crisp during preparation

involve blocking the chemical reaction that causes them to turn brown. You

can soak the sliced apples in apple juice, which has the added benefit of

matching their flavor, or another juice such as lime or orange. A solution of 1/2

teaspoon salt dissolved in 4 cups of water is another choice, as is just plain

cold water, as long as the apples are completely submerged. While lemon

juice has one of the highest concentrations of ascorbic acid.

The substrates involved in these reactions are located in the vacuoles

while enzymes are in the cytoplasm; the reactions can take place only if they

are mixed and in the presence of oxygen. So, all phenomena (cutting, shock,

loss of firmness) lead to the starting of browning reactions which induce

losses or changes of flavor, odor and nutritional value (Toivonen &Brummell,

2008). To avoid this phenomenon various methods are developed. The role of

these methods is either to inactivate polyphenol oxidase (PPO) or to avoid

contact between the enzyme and its substrate, either by adding antioxidants

or by maintaining the structural integrity of the food.

In the production of fresh-cut products, the use of heat is avoided in

order to prevent cooking of the product, and consequently loss of fresh-like

characteristics. Several chemical preservatives can be used, depending on

what is to be prevented; often chemical preservatives are applied in the

control of enzymatic browning, firmness and decay (Brecht, 1992).

Preparation steps such as peeling or scrubbing, slicing, shredding, etc

remove the natural protection (peel or skin) of fruits and vegetables and

cause bruises, rendering them susceptible to desiccation and wilting. This

also exposes internal tissues to microbes and potentially deleterious

endogenous enzymes. Among the possible consequences of mechanical

injuries to produce are increase in respiration rate and ethylene production,

accelerated senescence and enzymatic browning (Rosen and Kader, 1989)

Conceptual Framework

Preventing the To avoid spoilage and it

browning of sliced would still able to be
produce through home eaten with its natural
remedies color
 Chapter 3

METHODOLOGY

So here are the steps on how we did our experiment on how to prevent

sliced produce from turning brown. Here are the following steps.

1. Ready all the materials needed for the experiment, the produce

(apple), Tupper wares or bowl, spoon, water, salt, lemon juice.

2. Chop or sliced the produce into smaller pieces.
3. Fill the bowl or Tupper wares with tap water.
4. In the first bowl of water put salt and then stir for 30 seconds to let the

salt dissolve.
5. For the second bowl put pure lemon juice.
6. Now, put apple both on the first bowl and the second bowl.
7. Wait for one hour and see the difference between the two apples from

each bowl.

Chapter 4

Results and Discussion

 The apple slices soaked in lime (pH 2.38) and lemon (pH 2.49) juices

consistently performed the best, in terms of inhibiting the browning of cut

apples at all select intervals, while the slices soaked in less acidic juices were

not as good in preventing browning. This was true, but for one exception.

Lemon juice (pH 3.87) dipped slices performed better than white grape (pH

3.49) and apple juice(pH 3.79) dipped slices, in spite of having a lower pH

than lemon juice.

Chapter 5
Summary Statement

Based on the results, acidic juices of various pH were tested along with

tap water to observe their effectiveness in preventing the oxidation of freshly

sliced apples.

Conclusions

As a result of the experiment, the following conclusions were drawn:

I have proven my hypothesis such that the acidity of a lemon plays an

important role in inhibiting enzymatic browning of cut apples, thus apple slices

dipped in low pH juices like lemon and lime, will maintain their fresh-cut apple

color longer. In the case of the apple slices dipped in lemon juice, I can also

conclude that they maintain the fresh-cut apple color better than apple and

white grape dipped slices due to the fact that lemon juice is known to contain

high levels of the antioxidant, ascorbic acid (also known as vitamin C), than

the other two. Both ascorbic and citric acids are important factors to make

note of in juices, since they are anti-browning age.

Recommendation

To help prevent the browning of the unripe fruits, the following

recommendations are proposed:

To address the problems of browning of fruit and the freshness, we the

researchers encourage you to do the exact experiment that we did. You just
need to follow our procedure and used the materials that we used like lemon

extract, salt or calamansi.

BIBLIOGRAPHY
 https://www.reference.com/food/lemon-juice-keep-

fruit-turning-brown-b9e53c438028d950

http://oureverydaylife.com/lemon-juice-stop-apples-

browning-21624.html

http://eujournal.org/index.php/esj/article/viewFile/196

3/1905

http://www.ifrj.upm.edu.my/23%20(05)%202016/

(7).pdf

http://www.fruitandvegetable.ucdavis.edu/files/217061

.pdf

http://www.seriouseats.com/2015/09/how-to-prevent-

apple-pear-browning.html

APPENDIX CURRICULUM VITAE

QUIAMJOT, ANGEL ZCARINA L.

Age: 17 years old

Birthday: March 04, 2000

Birthplace: Makati City

Address: Block 31 Lot 21 Phase 1 Main Road San Lorenzo South Sta.

Rosa Laguna

Mother: Maria Cristina L. Quiamjot

Father: Ricardo S. Quiamjot

Contact number: 09298043834

Secondary School: San Lorenzo Christian School

Intermediate School: San Lorenzo Christian School

CURRICULUM VITAE
MONTEMAYOR, KYLE CLARENCE R.

Age: 15 years old

Birthday: October 10, 2001

Birthplace: Angeles City, Pampanga

Address: Block 42 Lot 20 Phase 1 San Lorenzo South

Mother: Regina Montemayor

Father: Maximo R. Montemayor

Contact number: 09055425955

Secondary School: San Lorenzo Christian School

Intermediate School: San Lorenzo Christian School

CURRICULUM VITAE
BATO, ZYMON JOSH

Age:16

Birthday:December 10 2000

Birthplace: Baliwag, Bulacan

Address: Block 43 Lot 14 Phase 1c South San Lorenzo Sta. Rosa

Laguna

Mother: Maricel D. Bato

Father: Michal D. Bato

Contact number: 09272762416

Secondary School: Mary Immaculate Academy

Intermediate School:San Lorenzo Christian School

CURRICULUM VITAE
ORUBIA, RACHEL
Age: 16 years old
Birthday: July 28, 2000
Birthplace: Bolo Norte Sipocot Camarines Sur
Address: Block 1, Lot 2 Phase 1-A Annex
Mother: Cerila Mangino Orubia
Father: Rolito Bueno
Contact number: 09773300433
Email Address: rachel_orubia@yahoo.com
Secondary School: San Lorenzo Christian

School (2016-2017)
Elementary School: Bagumbayan Elementary

School

CURRICULUM VITAE
FERNANDEZ, KIM ANGELA P.
Age: 16 years old
Birthday: January 24, 2001
Birthplace: Santa. Cruz, Laguna
Address: Block 2, Lot 63 Ciudad de San Jose

Santa. Rosa, Laguna

Mother: Pearly P. Fernandez
Father: Michael H. Fernandez
Contact number: 09159385271
Secondary School: San Lorenzo Christian School (2015-2017)
Elementary School: Mind Builders Academy (2011-2013)