Effect of γ-irradiation on phenolic acids in strawberries

The content of phenolic acids in strawberries was determined before and after gamma-irradiation in the dose range 1 to 10 kGy. Fresh whole strawberries were irradiated, acid-base-hydrolyzed, and purified on polyamide columns. The compounds were analyzed by reversed-phase chromatography and detected with a diode-array detector. Dose/concentration relationships were obtained for gallic acid, 4-hydroxybenzoic acid, cinnamic acid, p-coumaric acid, and caffeic acid. Whereas radiolysis of the individual acids in aqueous solutions led to their efficient degradation and to a notable hydroxylation, in the complex matrix of food no hydroxylation products were formed and only the amount of 4-hydroxybenzoic acid was affected by irradiation (build up: 0.68 +/- 0.04 mg kg(-1) kGy(-1)).