Effect of pH and temperature on the thermostability of prickly pear (Opuntia ficus-indica) yellow-orange pigments

The colour stability of the yellow-orange pigment (lambda(max) = 476 nm) of prickly pear (Opuntia ficus-indica) fruit was determined as a function of temperature and pH. The experiments were carried out at three different temperatures (50, 70 and 90 degrees C) with pigment solutions at pH values ranging from 2-7. The degree of pigment retention decreased with increasing temperature as a function of increasing thermal exposure time with least pigment degradation at pH 5. The reaction rate constants were determined as 0.0062, 0.0383 and 0.1102 min(-1) for a thermal degradation reaction rate of pseudo-first order. The activation energy was calculated as 65.1 kJ . mol(-1).