Disintegration efficiency of pulsed electric field induced effects on onion (Allium cepa L.) tissues as a function of pulse protocol and determination of cell integrity by ¹H-NMR relaxometry.

Journal of food science · 2010 · Unclear · Low evidence

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UnclearLow evidencePaper 3271

Study snapshot

PublicationJournal of food science · 2010

Study typeother

Reported directionUnclear

Evidence ratingLow

Abstract

The influence of electrical pulse protocol parameters on cell rupture of onion tissues was investigated in order to improve fundamental understanding and to enhance the processing of plant tissues with pulsed electric fields (PEFs). The impact of PEF parameters on cell integrity of 20 mm dia, 4-mm thick disks of Don Victor onions (Allium cepa L.) was determined by ion leakage measurements. Electric field strength, pulse width, total pulse duration, and frequency effects were determined in relation to their effects on cell damage as a function of pulse protocol. Electric field strengths up to 500 V/cm increased the damage efficiency but there was no significant difference in efficiency beyond this field strength. Larger pulse widths increased the degree of tissue disintegration at a constant pulse number. Higher PEF efficiency was achieved with shorter pulse widths and a larger number of pulses at a constant total treatment time. Lower frequencies caused a greater degree of disintegration at constant number of pulses. ¹H-NMR experiments were performed to determine the proton relaxation components of the PEF-treated onion samples and to obtain cell damage information nondestructively. Paramagnetic ion uptake by the onion sample was used to identify different proton relaxation components. Five different proton relaxation components were observed and changes in the 2 components representing different proton environments showed high correlations with ion leakage results (R²= 0.99), indicating that T(2) distributions can be used to obtain information about cell membrane integrity in PEF-treated samples. 1H-NMR proved to be an effective method for nondestructive quantification of cell membrane rupture in onions.

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AI evidence extraction

Structured fields below were generated from the paper’s abstract and metadata to make the evidence easier to inspect. Automated extraction may be incomplete or incorrect; verify important details against the original paper.

Study typeother

Effect directionunclear

PopulationOnion tissues (Allium cepa L.; Don Victor onions), 20 mm diameter, 4-mm thick disks

Sample sizeNot supplied

ExposureNot supplied

Evidence strengthLowConfidence: 74% · Peer reviewed: yes

Main findings

Electric field strengths up to 500 V/cm increased damage efficiency, with no significant difference in efficiency beyond 500 V/cm. Larger pulse widths increased tissue disintegration at a constant pulse number; higher efficiency was achieved with shorter pulse widths and more pulses at constant total treatment time, and lower frequencies caused greater disintegration at a constant number of pulses. Five proton relaxation components were observed by ¹H-NMR, and changes in two components correlated highly with ion leakage (R² = 0.99), supporting use of T2 distributions to assess membrane integrity nondestructively.

Outcomes measured

Cell rupture/cell damage efficiency (tissue disintegration)
Cell membrane integrity (ion leakage)
¹H-NMR relaxometry outcomes (T2 distributions; proton relaxation components)
Correlation between NMR components and ion leakage (R²)

Limitations

Sample size not reported in abstract
No quantitative details provided for many protocol parameters (exact pulse widths, frequencies, pulse numbers, total treatment times)
Plant tissue model; not directly generalizable to human/animal health effects

View raw extracted JSON

{
  "study_type": "other",
  "exposure": {
    "band": null,
    "source": "pulsed electric fields (food processing)",
    "frequency_mhz": null,
    "sar_wkg": null,
    "duration": null
  },
  "population": "Onion tissues (Allium cepa L.; Don Victor onions), 20 mm diameter, 4-mm thick disks",
  "sample_size": null,
  "outcomes": [
    "Cell rupture/cell damage efficiency (tissue disintegration)",
    "Cell membrane integrity (ion leakage)",
    "¹H-NMR relaxometry outcomes (T2 distributions; proton relaxation components)",
    "Correlation between NMR components and ion leakage (R²)"
  ],
  "main_findings": "Electric field strengths up to 500 V/cm increased damage efficiency, with no significant difference in efficiency beyond 500 V/cm. Larger pulse widths increased tissue disintegration at a constant pulse number; higher efficiency was achieved with shorter pulse widths and more pulses at constant total treatment time, and lower frequencies caused greater disintegration at a constant number of pulses. Five proton relaxation components were observed by ¹H-NMR, and changes in two components correlated highly with ion leakage (R² = 0.99), supporting use of T2 distributions to assess membrane integrity nondestructively.",
  "effect_direction": "unclear",
  "limitations": [
    "Sample size not reported in abstract",
    "No quantitative details provided for many protocol parameters (exact pulse widths, frequencies, pulse numbers, total treatment times)",
    "Plant tissue model; not directly generalizable to human/animal health effects"
  ],
  "evidence_strength": "low",
  "confidence": 0.74,
  "peer_reviewed_likely": "yes",
  "keywords": [
    "pulsed electric fields",
    "PEF",
    "onion",
    "Allium cepa",
    "cell membrane rupture",
    "ion leakage",
    "tissue disintegration",
    "pulse protocol",
    "electric field strength",
    "pulse width",
    "frequency",
    "¹H-NMR relaxometry",
    "T2 distributions"
  ],
  "suggested_hubs": []
}

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AI-extracted fields are generated from the abstract and metadata and may be incomplete or incorrect. This material is for informational purposes and is not medical advice.

Identifiers and source

DOI: 10.1111/j.1750-3841.2010.01769.x
PubMed: 21535538

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