foods Article Influence of Alkaline Treatment on Structural Modifications of Chlorophyll Pigments in NaOH—Treated Table Olives Preserved without Fermentation Marta Berlanga-Del Pozo, Lourdes Gallardo-Guerrero and Beatriz Gandul-Rojas * Chemistry and Biochemistry of Pigments, Food Phytochemistry, Instituto de la Grasa (CSIC), Campus Universitario Pablo de Olavide, Edificio 46, Ctra. Utrera km 1, 41013 Sevilla, Spain;
[email protected] (M.B.-D.P.);
[email protected] (L.G.-G.) * Correspondence:
[email protected] Received: 28 April 2020; Accepted: 18 May 2020; Published: 1 June 2020 Abstract: Alkaline treatment is a key stage in the production of green table olives and its main aim is rapid debittering of the fruit. Its action is complex, with structural changes in both the skin and the pulp, and loss of bioactive components in addition to the bitter glycoside oleuropein. One of the components seriously affected are chlorophylls, which are located mainly in the skin of the fresh fruit. Chlorophyll pigments are responsible for the highly-valued green color typical of table olive specialties not preserved by fermentation. Subsequently, the effect on chlorophylls of nine processes, differentiated by NaOH concentration and/or treatment time, after one year of fruit preservation under refrigeration conditions, was investigated. A direct relationship was found between the intensity of the alkali treatment and the degree of chlorophyll degradation, with losses of more than 60% being recorded when NaOH concentration of 4% or greater were used. Oxidation with opening of the isocyclic ring was the main structural change, followed by pheophytinization and degradation to colorless products. To a lesser extent, decarbomethoxylation and dephytylation reactions were detected.