Irradiation Stability of Folic Acid in Powder and Aqueous Solution

• Published in: Journal of agricultural and food chemistry Vol. 59; no. 4; pp. 1244 - 1248
• Main Authors: Araújo, Michel M, Marchioni, Eric, Bergaentzle, Martine, Zhao, Minjie, Kuntz, Florent, Hahn, Emeline, Villavicencio, Anna Lucia C. H
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Chemical Society 23.02.2011
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; Cereal and baking product industries; Chemical Changes Induced by Processing/Storage; Drug Stability; Flour - analysis; Folic Acid - chemistry; Folic Acid - radiation effects; Food industries; Food Irradiation - adverse effects; Food, Fortified - analysis; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; Solutions; Water; wheat flour; folic acid; Radiation processing; stability; Wheat flour; Stability; Cereal product; Quality; Radiation; Irradiation; Aqueous solution; Folic acid; Powder
• ISSN: 0021-8561; 1520-5118
• DOI: 10.1021/jf103977q

This study attempts to examine the folic acid stability after irradiation treatment, under different physical states, pH values, and atmosphere conditions. Aqueous folic acid samples, folic acid in powder, and wheat flour fortified with folic acid were irradiated by an electron beam (E-beam) between 0 (control) and 10.0 kGy. It was realized that the physical state of folic acid plays an important role on its stability toward E-beam processing, being largely unstable in solution, no matter the pH and atmosphere conditions assayed. Otherwise, folic acid in powder showed huge irradiation stability, even when mixed in a dry food matrix, such as fortified wheat flour samples.